Balm

6 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Balm \Balm\ (b[aum]m), n. [OE. baume, OF. bausme, basme, F.
     baume, L. balsamum balsam, from Gr. ba`lsamon; perhaps of
     Semitic origin; cf. Heb. b[=a]s[=a]m. Cf. {Balsam}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus {Melissa}.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. The resinous and aromatic exudation of certain trees or
        shrubs. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Any fragrant ointment. --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. Anything that heals or that mitigates pain. "Balm for each
        ill." --Mrs. Hemans.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Balm cricket} (Zool.), the European cicada. --Tennyson.
  
     {Balm of Gilead} (Bot.), a small evergreen African and
        Asiatic tree of the terebinthine family ({Balsamodendron
        Gileadense}). Its leaves yield, when bruised, a strong
        aromatic scent; and from this tree is obtained the balm of
        Gilead of the shops, or balsam of Mecca. This has a
        yellowish or greenish color, a warm, bitterish, aromatic
        taste, and a fragrant smell. It is valued as an unguent
        and cosmetic by the Turks. The fragrant herb
        {Dracocephalum Canariense} is familiarly called balm of
        Gilead, and so are the American trees, {Populus
        balsamifera}, variety candicans (balsam poplar), and
        {Abies balsamea} (balsam fir).
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Balm \Balm\, v. t.
     To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal. Hence: To
     soothe; to mitigate. [Archaic] --Shak.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  balm
       n 1: any of various aromatic resinous substances used for healing
            and soothing
       2: semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine)
          applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an
          irritation [syn: {ointment}, {unction}, {unguent}, {salve}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  172 Moby Thesaurus words for "balm":
     Mentholatum, Vaseline, aid, allay, alleviative, alleviator,
     alterative, ambergris, ambrosia, analeptic, anodyne, aroma,
     aromatic, aromatic gum, aromatic water, assistance, assuager,
     attar, attar of roses, balm of Gilead, balsam, bay oil,
     bergamot oil, bouquet, brilliantine, calmative, cerate,
     champaca oil, chrism, civet, cold cream, collyrium, comfort,
     commiseration, compose, condolement, condolence, consolation,
     corrective, cream, cure, cushion, demulcent, dolorifuge, drops,
     drug, electuary, elixir, embrocation, emollient, essence,
     essential oil, ethical drug, extract, eye-lotion, eyewash,
     eyewater, face cream, fixative, generic name, glycerin, glycerogel,
     glycerogelatin, glycerol, glycerole, hand lotion, healing agent,
     healing quality, heliotrope, help, herbs, incense, inhalant,
     inunction, inunctum, jasmine oil, lanolin, lavender oil, lenitive,
     lincture, linctus, liniment, lotion, lull, materia medica,
     medicament, medication, medicinal, medicinal herbs, medicine,
     menthol, mercurial ointment, mitigator, mixture, moderator,
     modulator, mollifier, musk, myrcia oil, myrrh, nard,
     nonprescription drug, officinal, oil, ointment, olive oil,
     pacificator, pacifier, palliative, parfum, patent medicine,
     peacemaker, perfume, perfumery, petrolatum, pharmacon, physic,
     pomade, pomatum, powder, preparation, prescription,
     prescription drug, proprietary, proprietary medicine,
     proprietary name, quiet, quieten, receipt, recipe, redolence,
     relief, remedial measure, remedy, restorative, restraining hand,
     rose oil, salve, scent, sedative, settle, sharing of grief,
     shock absorber, simples, soothe, soother, soothing syrup,
     soothing words, sovereign remedy, specific, specific remedy, spice,
     spikenard, stabilizer, still, succor, sympathy, syrup, temperer,
     theraputant, tisane, tranquilize, tranquilizer, unction, unguent,
     unguentum, vegetable remedies, volatile oil, vulnerary, wiser head,
     witch hazel, zinc ointment
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  BALM
       
          Block And List Manipulation.  Harrison, 1970.  Extensible
          language with LISP-like features and ALGOL-like syntax, for
          CDC 6600.  "The Balm Programming Language", Malcolm Harrison,
          Courant Inst (May 1973).
       
       

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Balm
     contracted from Bal'sam, a general name for many oily or
     resinous substances which flow or trickle from certain trees or
     plants when an incision is made through the bark.
     
       (1.) This word occurs in the Authorized Version (Gen. 37:25;
     43:11; Jer. 8:22; 46:11; 51:8; Ezek. 27:17) as the rendering of
     the Hebrew word _tsori_ or _tseri_, which denotes the gum of a
     tree growing in Gilead (q.v.), which is very precious. It was
     celebrated for its medicinal qualities, and was circulated as an
     article of merchandise by Arab and Phoenician merchants. The
     shrub so named was highly valued, and was almost peculiar to
     Palestine. In the time of Josephus it was cultivated in the
     neighbourhood of Jericho and the Dead Sea. There is an Arab
     tradition that the tree yielding this balm was brought by the
     queen of Sheba as a present to Solomon, and that he planted it
     in his gardens at Jericho.
     
       (2.) There is another Hebrew word, _basam_ or _bosem_, from
     which our word "balsam," as well as the corresponding Greek
     balsamon, is derived. It is rendered "spice" (Cant. 5:1, 13;
     6:2; margin of Revised Version, "balsam;" Ex. 35:28; 1 Kings
     10:10), and denotes fragrance in general. _Basam_ also denotes
     the true balsam-plant, a native of South Arabia (Cant. l.c.).