bless⋅ing
[bles-ing]
| 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. |
bless
[bles]
| 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. |
bef. 950; ME blessen, OE blētsian, blēdsian to consecrate, orig. with blood, earlier *blōdisōian (blōd blood + -isō- derivational suffix + -ian v. suffix)

Related forms:
1. exalt, hallow, glorify, magnify, beatify.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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.Cite This Source
blessing
In addition to the idiom beginning with blessing, also see give thanks for small blessings; mixed blessing.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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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).
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dsian, 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." Bl