To perform a religious ceremony where a person is immersed in or sprinkled with water as an initiation into Christianity, or to name something for the first time.
From Greek 'baptizein' (to dip or immerse), related to 'bapto' (to dip). It entered English via Latin and became a central Christian sacrament, with the meaning later extending to any solemn naming.
The word 'baptize' originally just meant 'to dip' in Greek—Christians chose this word specifically for their initiation ritual, but the metaphorical meaning exploded: we now 'baptize' ships, businesses, and disasters with names, spreading this religious word into completely secular contexts!
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