[bap.tism] n [ME baptisme] (14c) 1 a: a Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community b: a non-Christian rite using water for ritual purification c Christian Science: purification by or submergence in Spirit
2: an act, experience, or ordeal by which one is purified, sanctified, initiated, or named -- bap.tis.mal adj -- bap.tis.mal.ly adv