Definition of "christening" [christening]

• The Christian sacrament of baptizing and naming an infant. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The rite was called christening, from the Greek word for anointing."
• "Their christening has been a tardy one, for who can tell what ages have passed since they first came into being?"
• "The christening was a great occasion, with a houseful of guests, and a great deal of speechmaking."