blessing : Dictionary / Wörterbuch (BEOLINGUS, TU Chemnitz)

English Dictionary: blessing	by the DICT Development Group
4 results for blessing
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
blessing n the formal act of approving; "he gave the project his blessing"; "his decision merited the approval of any sensible person" Synonym(s): blessing, approval, approving Antonym(s): disapproval a desirable state; "enjoy the blessings of peace"; "a spanking breeze is a boon to sailors" Synonym(s): blessing, boon a short prayer of thanks before a meal; "their youngest son said grace" Synonym(s): grace, blessing, thanksgiving a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection Synonym(s): benediction, blessing the act of praying for divine protection Synonym(s): blessing, benediction
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. [bd]In drawing [their bow] some fetch such a compass as though they would turn about and bless all the field.[b8] --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 U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:
Blessing, TX Zip code(s): 77419