To anoint with oil, especially as a religious or sacramental act; to give extreme unction to someone who is dying.
From Old English anēlan, from an- (on) plus ēle (oil). Related to modern 'oil' and Dutch 'olie.' The verb preserves an ancient practice of ritual anointing.
In medieval and early modern Christianity, to anele someone was often their last comfort before death—priests would travel through plague-stricken villages to anele the dying, making this a word associated with both spiritual grace and human mortality.
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