christen

Etymology

From Middle English cristenen, cristnien, from Old English cristnian (“to christen, baptise”), from cristen (“Christen, Christian”) + -nian. Cognate with Dutch kerstenen (“to christen”), Middle Low German kristenen, kerstenen, karstenen (“to christen”), Danish kristne (“to christen”) Swedish kristna (“to christen”), Icelandic kristna (“to christen”).

verb

1. (transitive) To perform the religious act of baptism upon; to baptize.
   The new baby was christened at the village church.
2. (transitive, by extension) To name.
   I christen this ship the Bonny Barnacle.
   1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, Sacred Theory of the Earth Christen the thing what you will.
3. (obsolete) To Christianize.
   I must tell you that christianity hath new christened it 1657, Jeremy Taylor, Discourse of the Nature, Offices and Measures of Friendship
4. (colloquial) To use for the first time.
   I christened my new boots today with a walk in the snow.
5. (informal) To douse or wet with blood, urine, tears, or other liquid.
   Thus was De Witt's colony, like Austin's, at the mouth of the Colorado, christened in blood, and thus for the moment ended the first effort to found a settlement within its limits. 1892, John Henry Brown, History of Texas; from 1685 to 1892 - Volume 1, page 127
   I christened the facilities, shrugged into my windbreaker, and met Dolan at his door. 2002, Sue Grafton, Q Is for Quarry
   Being christened by a urinating bare-bottomed newborn is almost a rite of passage of parenthood. 2005, Linda Sonna, Early-Start Potty Training, page viii
   By the way if, as part of your fatherhood journey, you haven't been vomited on, had poo squirted on you, or been christened with pee yet, you're not trying hard enough. 2010, Stefan Korn, Scott Lancaster, Eric Mooij, Being a Great Dad For Dummies, page 122
   A daddy-long-legs lurched against the white-washed walls while Surefire christened the lime-swilled fresh bucket with a strong stream of urine. 2012, Glory Keveme, Broken Wings, page 51