κατάχρισις

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From κατα- (kata-, “down, over”) +‎ χρῖσις (khrîsis, “smearing, anointing”), from χρῑ́ω (khrī́ō, “to rub, smear, anoint”).

Pronunciation

(5^th BCE Attic) IPA^(key): /ka.tá.kʰriː.sis/
(1^st CE Egyptian) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.kʰri.sis/
(4^th CE Koine) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xri.sis/
(10^th CE Byzantine) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xri.sis/
(15^th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA^(key): /kaˈta.xri.sis/

Noun

κᾰτάχρῑσις • (kătákhrīsis) f (genitive κᾰταχρῑ́σεως); third declension

a smearing on, application of a substance; an act of rubbing or coating
1. (medicine) a topical application used to draw, irritate, or treat
  - 150 CE – 250 CE, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Problems 2.59:
    ἕλκεται δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ θερμότητος ὡς θαψίας κατάχρισις
    hélketai dè kaì hupò thermótētos hōs thapsías katákhrisis
    it is also drawn by heat, as by an application of thapsia
2. (literary) smearing or coating (e.g. of the body or face)
  - 200 CE – 400 CE, Heliodorus of Emesa, 6 11:
    πηλοῦ καταχρίσει μολύνασα
    pēloû katakhrísei molúnasa
    having defiled (herself) by a smearing of mud

Declension

Third declension of ἡ κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσῐς; τῆς κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεως (Attic)

Case / #	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ἡ κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσῐς hē kătắkhrīsĭs	τὼ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σει tṑ kătăkhrī́sei	αἱ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεις hai kătăkhrī́seis
Genitive	τῆς κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεως tês kătăkhrī́seōs	τοῖν κᾰτᾰχρῑσέοιν toîn kătăkhrīséoin	τῶν κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεων tôn kătăkhrī́seōn
Dative	τῇ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σει tēî kătăkhrī́sei	τοῖν κᾰτᾰχρῑσέοιν toîn kătăkhrīséoin	ταῖς κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεσῐ / κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεσῐν taîs kătăkhrī́sesĭ(n)
Accusative	τὴν κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσῐν tḕn kătắkhrīsĭn	τὼ κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σει tṑ kătăkhrī́sei	τᾱ̀ς κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεις tā̀s kătăkhrī́seis
Vocative	κᾰτᾰ́χρῑσῐ kătắkhrīsĭ	κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σει kătăkhrī́sei	κᾰτᾰχρῑ́σεις kătăkhrī́seis
Notes:	This table gives Attic inflectional endings. For declension in other dialects, see Appendix:Ancient Greek dialectal declension.

Usage notes

The noun κατάχρῑσις (katákhrīsis) denotes the act or process of smearing or applying a substance onto a surface, especially in medical or technical contexts. It contrasts with κατάχρῑσμα (katákhrīsma), which refers to the substance applied itself rather than the act.

Related terms

ἔγχρῑσις (énkhrīsis)
ἐπίχρῑσις (epíkhrīsis)
κατάχρῑσμα (katákhrīsma)
καταχρῑ́ω (katakhrī́ō)
περίχρῑσις (períkhrīsis)
χρῑ́ω (khrī́ō)

References

“κατάχρισις”, in Liddell & Scott (1940), A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press