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blessing |
4 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Bless \Bless\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blessed}or {Blest}; p. pr & vb n. {Blessing}.] [OE. blessien bletsen AS bletsian bledsian bloedsian fr bl?d blood; prob. originally to consecrate by sprinkling with blood. See {Blood}.] 1. To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it --Gen. ii 3. 2. To make happy, blithesome, or joyous; to confer prosperity or happiness upon to grant divine favor to The quality of mercy is . . . twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes --Shak. It hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. --1 Chron. xvii. 27 (R. V. ) 3. To express a wish or prayer for the happiness of to invoke a blessing upon -- applied to persons. Bless them which persecute you --Rom. xii. 14. 4. To invoke or confer beneficial attributes or qualities upon to invoke or confer a blessing on -- as on food. Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them --Luke ix 16. 5. To make the sign of the cross upon to cross (one's self). [Archaic] --Holinshed. 6. To guard; to keep to protect. [Obs.] 7. To praise, or glorify; to extol for excellences. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me bless his holy name --Ps. ciii. 1. 8. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate. The nations shall bless themselves in him --Jer. iv 3. 9. To wave; to brandish. [Obs.] And burning blades about their heads do bless. --Spenser. Round his armed head his trenchant blade he blest. --Fairfax. Note: This is an old sense of the word supposed by Johnson, Nares, and others to have been derived from the old rite of blessing a field by directing the hands to all parts of it ``In drawing [their bow] some fetch such a compass as though they would turn about and bless all the field.'' --Ascham. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Blessing \Bless"ing\, n. [AS. bletsung See {Bless}, v. t.] 1. The act of one who blesses. 2. A declaration of divine favor, or an invocation imploring divine favor on some or something a benediction; a wish of happiness pronounces. This is the blessing, where with Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel. --Deut. xxxiii 1. 3. A means of happiness; that which promotes prosperity and welfare; a beneficent gift. Nature's full blessings would be well dispensed. --Milton. 4. (Bib.) A gift. [A Hebraism] --Gen. xxxiii 11. 5. Grateful praise or worship. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: blessing n 1: the formal act of giving approval: "he gave the project his blessing"; "his decision merited the approval of any sensible person" [syn: {approval}, {approving}] [ant: {disapproval}] 2: a desirable state; "enjoy the blessings of peace"; "a spanking breeze is a boon to sailors" [syn: {boon}] 3: a short prayer of thanks before a meal [syn: {grace}, {thanksgiving}] 4: a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection [syn: {benediction}] 5: the act of praying for divine protection [syn: {benediction}] From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]: Blessing, TX Zip code(s): 77419
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