Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
BLESSING
blessing, benediction
(noun) the act of praying for divine protection
blessing, approval, approving
(noun) the formal act of approving; “he gave the project his blessing”; “his decision merited the approval of any sensible person”
benediction, blessing
(noun) a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection
grace, blessing, thanksgiving
(noun) a short prayer of thanks before a meal; “their youngest son said grace”
blessing, boon
(noun) a desirable state; “enjoy the blessings of peace”; “a spanking breeze is a boon to sailors”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
blessing (plural blessings)
Some kind of divine or supernatural aid, or reward.
A pronouncement invoking divine aid.
Good fortune.
(paganism) A modern pagan ceremony.
The act of declaring or bestowing favor; approval.
Something someone is glad of.
A prayer before a meal; grace.
A group of unicorns.
Antonyms
• curse
Verb
blessing
present participle of bless
Anagrams
• glibness
Proper noun
Blessing (plural Blessings)
A surname.
Statistics
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Blessing is the 6449th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 5263 individuals. Blessing is most common among White (93.71%) individuals.
Anagrams
• glibness
Source: Wiktionary
Bless"ing, n. Etym: [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.)
Definition: A gift. [A Hebraism] Gen. xxxiii. 11.
5. Grateful praise or worship.
BLESS
Bless, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blessed or Blest; p. pr. & vb. n. Blessing.] Etym: [OE. blessien, bletsen, AS. bletsian, bledsian, bloedsian, fr. bl 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.
Bless me! Bless us! an exclamation of surprise. Milton.
– To bless from, to secure, defend, or preserve from. "Bless me from marrying a usurer." Shak. To bless the doors from nightly harm. Milton.
– To bless with, To be blessed with, to favor or endow with; to be favored or endowed with; as, God blesses us with health; we are blessed with happiness.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
3 April 2025
WHOLE
(noun) an assemblage of parts that is regarded as a single entity; “how big is that part compared to the whole?”; “the team is a unit”
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