The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bless \Bless\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blessedor 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.]
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To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate
And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.
--Gen. ii. 3. -
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. ) -
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. 1 -
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. To make the sign of the cross upon; to cross (one's self). [Archaic]
--Holinshed.To guard; to keep; to protect. [Obs.]
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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. -
To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
The nations shall bless themselves in him.
--Jer. iv. 3. -
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.