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blessing

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bless⋅ing

  [bles-ing]
Use blessing in a Sentence
–noun
1. the act or words of a person who blesses.
2. a special favor, mercy, or benefit: the blessings of liberty.
3. a favor or gift bestowed by God, thereby bringing happiness.
4. the invoking of God's favor upon a person: The son was denied his father's blessing.
5. praise; devotion; worship, esp. grace said before a meal: The children took turns reciting the blessing.
6. approval or good wishes: The proposed law had the blessing of the governor.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME blessinge, -unge, OE bletsung, bledsung. See bless, -ing 1

Synonyms:
2. advantage, boon, gain, profit, bounty.
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bless

  [bles]
–verb (used with object), blessed or blest, bless⋅ing.
1. to consecrate or sanctify by a religious rite; make or pronounce holy.
2. to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.
3. to bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.
4. to extol as holy; glorify: Bless the name of the Lord.
5. to protect or guard from evil (usually used interjectionally): Bless you! Bless your innocent little heart!
6. to condemn or curse: I'll be blessed if I can see your reasoning. Bless me if it isn't my old friend!
7. to make the sign of the cross over or upon: The Pope blessed the multitude.
Origin:
bef. 950; ME blessen, OE blētsian, blēdsian to consecrate, orig. with blood, earlier *blōdisōian (blōd blood + -isō- derivational suffix + -ian v. suffix)

Related forms:
blesser, noun
bless⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
1. exalt, hallow, glorify, magnify, beatify.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To blessing
bless   (blěs)   
tr.v.   blessed or blest (blěst), bless·ing, bless·es

  1. To make holy by religious rite; sanctify.

  2. To make the sign of the cross over so as to sanctify.

  3. To invoke divine favor upon.

  4. To honor as holy; glorify: Bless the Lord.

  5. To confer well-being or prosperity on.

  6. To endow, as with talent.


[Middle English blessen, from Old English blētsian, to consecrate; see bhel-3 in Indo-European roots.]
bless'er n.
Word History: The verb bless comes from Old English bldsian, blēdsian, blētsian, "to bless, wish happiness, consecrate." Although the Old English verb has no cognates in any other Germanic language, it can be shown to derive from the Germanic noun *blōdan, "blood." Bldsian therefore literally means "to consecrate with blood, sprinkle with blood." The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the early Germanic migrants to Britain, used bldsian for their pagan sacrifices. After they converted to Christianity, bldsian acquired new meanings as a result of its use in translations of the Latin Bible, but it kept its pagan Germanic senses as well.
bless·ing   (blěs'ĭng)   
n.  

  1. The act of one that blesses.

  2. A short prayer said before or after a meal; grace.

  3. Something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity; a boon.

  4. Approbation; approval: This plan has my blessing.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

bless 
O.E. bletsian, bledsian, Northumbrian bloedsian "to consecrate, make holy," from P.Gmc. *blothisojan "mark with blood," from *blotham "blood" (see blood). Originally a blood sprinkling on pagan altars. This word was chosen in O.E. bibles to translate L. benedicere and Gk. eulogein, both of which have a ground sense of "to speak well of, to praise," but were used in Scripture to translate Heb. brk "to bend (the knee), worship, praise, invoke blessings." Meaning shifted in late O.E. toward "to confer happiness, well-being," by resemblance to unrelated bliss. No cognates in other languages. Blessing is O.E. bledsung.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

blessing

In addition to the idiom beginning with blessing, also see give thanks for small blessings; mixed blessing.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Encyclopedia

blessing

a verbal blessing of persons or things, commonly applied to invocations pronounced in God's name by a priest or minister, usually at the conclusion of a religious service. The Aaronic benediction (Num. 6:24-26) was incorporated by Luther into his German Mass and is preserved by modern Lutherans because of its impressive dignity; it is also used in the Mozarabic liturgy of Spain before the reception of the Host. The Swedish liturgy appends a trinitarian formula to this same benediction. Some Christian churches, however, prefer the Pauline benediction (II Cor. 13:14).

Learn more about blessing with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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