baptism

/ˈbæpˌtɪzəm/
noun
  1. A Christian ceremony in which a person is sprinkled with or immersed in water as a sign of admission to the Church and of spiritual cleansing.
    • The baptism took place at the local church on Sunday morning.
    • She remembered her own baptism as a joyful occasion.
    • Many families celebrate a baptism with a party afterward.
  2. A challenging or difficult first experience of something.
    • The young soldier's baptism of combat came sooner than expected.
    • His first day on the job was a baptism by fire.
    • Running a marathon as her first race was a real baptism.
What does "baptism" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean