/ ˈbæptɪzəm; NAmE / noun
a Christian ceremony in which a few drops of water are poured on sb or they are covered with water, to welcome them into the Christian Church and often to name them
—compare christening
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IDIOMS
- a baptism of fire
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French baptesme , via ecclesiastical Latin from ecclesiastical Greek baptismos ceremonial washing, from baptizein immerse, baptize.