Aleiphō means to anoint, rub, or smear with oil — specifically the common, everyday use of oil (as distinguished from the sacred anointing verb chriō, from which "Christ" derives). Appearing about 9 times in the NT, it describes anointing the head as hospitality (Luke 7:46), anointing the body after burial (Mark 16:1), anointing the sick (James 5:14), and the woman's anointing of Jesus' feet (Luke 7:38).
Aleiphō and chriō represent the two dimensions of anointing: the human and the divine. While chriō designates sacred, authoritative anointing by God (as in "the Christ" = the Anointed One), aleiphō represents tangible, embodied love and care. The woman who anointed Jesus' feet with perfume (aleiphō) performed a prophetic act of devotion and burial preparation — an act Jesus said would be told wherever the gospel is preached (Matthew 26:13). James 5:14's instruction for elders to anoint with oil for healing uses aleiphō — the physical act accompanying prayer.