bautizar

to baptize

verb bah-oo-tee-SAHR Less Common

Origin: From Greek baptizein via Latin.

Also means

to name

Usage Note

Bautizar undergoes a spelling change of z to c before e (preterite bauticé, present subjunctive bautice) to preserve the soft 's' sound. Beyond the religious sacrament, it is used colloquially to mean 'to give a nickname' to a person or place. The related noun is bautizo ('baptism ceremony').

Examples

"Van a bautizar al bebé el domingo."

Natural Translation

They are going to baptize the baby on Sunday.

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