Part 1191

<hw>Bless</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>Blessed</er> <tt>(#)</tt> or <er>Blest</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Blessing</er>.]</wordforms> <ety>[OE. <ets>blessien</ets>, <ets>bletsen</ets>, AS. <ets>bletsian</ets>, <ets>bledsian</ets>, <ets>bloedsian</ets>, fr. <ets>bl<?/d</ets> blood; prob. originally to consecrate by sprinkling with blood. See <er>Blood</er>.]</ety> <p><b>1.</b> <def>To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate</def>

<blockquote>And God <b>blessed</b> the seventh day, and sanctified it. <i>Gen. ii. 3.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>2.</b> <def>To make happy, blithesome, or joyous; to confer prosperity or happiness upon; to grant divine favor to.</def>

<blockquote>The quality of mercy is . . . twice <b>blest</b>; It <b>blesseth</b> him that gives and him that takes. <i>Shak.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>It hath pleased thee to <b>bless</b> the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. <i>1 Chron. xvii. 27 (R. V. )</i></blockquote>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>To express a wish or prayer for the happiness of; to invoke a blessing upon; -- applied to persons.</def>

<blockquote><b>Bless</b> them which persecute you. <i>Rom. xii. 14.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>To invoke or confer beneficial attributes or qualities upon; to invoke or confer a blessing on, -- as on food.</def>

<blockquote>Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he <b>blessed</b> them. <i>Luke ix. 16.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>To make the sign of the cross upon; to cross (one's self).</def> <mark>[Archaic]</mark>

<i>Holinshed.</i>

<p><b>6.</b> <def>To guard; to keep; to protect.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<p><b>7.</b> <def>To praise, or glorify; to extol for excellences.</def>

<blockquote><b>Bless</b> the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, <b>bless</b> his holy name. <i>Ps. ciii. 1.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>8.</b> <def>To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.</def>

<blockquote>The nations shall <b>bless</b> themselves in him. <i>Jer. iv. 3.</i></blockquote>

<p><b>9.</b> <def>To wave; to brandish.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<blockquote>And burning blades about their heads do <b>bless</b>. <i>Spenser.</i></blockquote>

<blockquote>Round his armed head his trenchant blade he <b>blest</b>. <i>Fairfax.</i></blockquote>

<note>&hand; 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 <i>bless</i> all the field."</note>

<i>Ascham.</i>

<hr> <page="155"> Page 155<p>

<cs><mcol><col>Bless me!</col> <col>Bless us!</col></mcol> <cd>an exclamation of surprise.</cd> <i>Milton</i>. -- <col>To bless from</col>, <cd>to secure, defend, or preserve from.</cd> "<i>Bless<i> me <i>from<i> marrying a usurer." <i>Shak.</i>

<blockquote>To <b>bless</b> the doors <b>from</b> nightly harm. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>

-- <mcol><col>To bless with</col>, <col>To be blessed with</col></mcol>, <cd>to favor or endow with; to be favored or endowed with; <as>as, God <ex>blesses</ex> us <ex>with</ex> health; we are <ex>blessed with</ex> happiness.</cd></cs>

<h1>Blessed</h1> <Xpage=155>

<hw>Bless"ed</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <p><b>1.</b> <def>Hallowed; consecrated; worthy of blessing or adoration; heavenly; holy.</def>

<blockquote>O, run; prevent them with thy humble ode, And lay it lowly at his <b>blessed</b> feet. <i>Milton.</i></blockquote>