bless
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: enpr: blĕs
ipa: /blɛs/
rhymes: -ɛs
Forms: form: blesses
form: blessing
form: blest
form: blest
form: blessed
form: blessed
Etymology: From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian (“to consecrate (with blood)”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn (“to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood”), from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom”). Cognate with Old Norse bleza (“to bless”) (whence Icelandic blessa), Old English blēdan (“to bleed”). More at bleed.
Senses: glosses: To make something holy by religious rite, sanctify.
examples: text: In some countries, priests bless farm animals on St. Anthony's Day.
text: In many families, a grace is said before dinner to give thanks for and bless the food.
glosses: To invoke divine favor upon.
examples: text: A Pſalme of Dauid. Bleſſe the Lord, O my ſoule: and all that is within me, bleſſe his holy Name.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 103:1, column 2:
glosses: To honor as holy, glorify; to extol for excellence.
examples: text: And thou ſhalt ſweare, The Lord liueth, in Trueth, in Iudgement, and in Righteouſnes, and the nations ſhall bleſſe themſelues in him, and in him ſhall they glorie.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 4:2, column 1:
glosses: To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
examples: text: the archbishop vsing certeine praiers, blessed the king
ref: 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC:
topics: Christianity
glosses: To make the sign of the cross upon, so as to sanctify.
examples: text: And burning blades about their heads do blesse.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto V”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 6:
text: Round his armed head his trenchant blade he blest.
ref: 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC:
glosses: To wave; to brandish.
qualifier: Perl programming; past tense only blessed; Perl programming; past tense only blessed
glosses: To turn (a reference) into an object.
examples: text: Bless me from marrying a usurer.
ref: c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:
text: To bleſs the dores from nightly harm
ref: a. 1645, John Milton, “Il Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 40:
glosses: To secure, defend, or prevent from.
raw_tags: with from
examples: text: Could you bless me the link for the original post?
text: I'm actually marved right now, can you bless me some cash?
text: Ahlie fam ¶ Do u have grabba? ¶ Bless me a change for the ttc
ref: 2021 April 13, u/saltymotherfker, “Popular male in a Toronto high school starterpack”, in Reddit, r/starterpacks, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2023:
text: How in the hell did you find that out LOL😂. Are you a working man there? If so, bless me a discount bro. If not yeah Pickering is the way to go. Went to Whitby and Toronto wasn't that good
ref: 2022 July 28, u/RedditUser19070203, “First ever car at 19! Tried my best to negotiate how did I do? That stupid 1 year anti theft was forced and I couldn't remove it. Did get a 650 rebate on a Jetta which is pretty tough tbh”, in Reddit, r/jetta, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2023:
text: Lmao can you bless me a Foam runner w retail price man🙃. I wear size 9 lol. Huge fan of your channel.
ref: 2022 August 7, u/introverted_logician, “Anyone know any Canadian sneaker YouTubers?”, in Reddit, r/SneakersCanada, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2023:
text: Someone bless me a code
ref: 2022 September 28, u/MyTorontoAccount, “Did anyone get presale code yet”, in Reddit, r/torontoraptors, archived from the original on 03 Dec 2023:
glosses: To give or send.
examples: text: After those modifications, the Board blessed the reorganization plan.
glosses: To approve of or assent to.
examples: text: You should bless your relatives, because they arrived here already.
glosses: To perform the mano gesture; taking of an elder's hand to press it to one's forehead or kiss it (as a sign of respect)
Derived terms: bebless
blessability
blessable
blessee
blesser
bless me
bless my soul
bless oneself
bless out
bless someone's cotton socks
bless someone's heart
bless someone with
bless up
bless us
blessworthy
bless you
cobless
God bless America
God bless the Duke of Argyle
God bless the Duke of Argyll
God bless the mark
God bless you
Goddess bless
Goddess bless you
gods bless you
outbless
prebless
rebless
Related terms: blessed
blessing
bleed
blood