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

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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 6449^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 5263 individuals. Blessing is most common among White (93.71%) individuals.

Anagrams

• glibness

Source: Wiktionary

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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

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