balm
Americannoun
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balms
plural
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any of various oily, fragrant, resinous substances, often of medicinal value, exuding from certain plants, especially tropical trees of the genus Commiphora.
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a plant or tree yielding such a substance.
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any aromatic or fragrant ointment.
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aromatic fragrance; sweet odor.
the balm of orange blossoms.
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any of various aromatic plants of the mint family, especially those of the genus Melissa, as M. officinalis lemonbalm, having ovate lemon-scented leaves used as a seasoning.
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anything that heals, soothes, or mitigates pain.
the balm of friendship in troubled times.
noun
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any of various oily aromatic resinous substances obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing See also balsam
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any plant yielding such a substance, esp the balm of Gilead
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something comforting or soothing
soft music is a balm
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any aromatic or oily substance used for healing or soothing
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Also called: lemon balm. an aromatic Eurasian herbaceous plant, Melissa officinalis , having clusters of small fragrant white two-lipped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)
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a pleasant odour
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of balm
1175–1225; Middle English basme, ba ( u ) me < Anglo-French basme, bal ( s ) me, ba ( u ) me; Old French < Latin balsamum balsam; with orthographic l pedantically restored
Explanation
If your lips are cracked and dry, lip balm will make them feel better. A balm is a soothing substance with a consistency somewhere between solid and liquid. The ointment-like consistency is part of what the word balm means. It comes down from the word, balsam, which is a gummy substance that comes from trees. You can use the word metaphorically too. If your mother's cooking always makes you feel better no matter how bad things get, you can say her home cooking has been a balm for you in trying times.
Vocabulary lists containing balm
"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"The Raven"
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Song of Solomon
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Her nine-year-old daughter has her own emergency bag containing toys, lip balm and a tourniquet.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Skincare enthusiasts may be familiar with the double-cleanse routine for the face: An oil-based cleanser or balm followed by a water-based cleanser.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The device, which is about the size of a tube of lip balm and costs $90, is sold primarily through the pet supply website Chewy and connects to the owner’s smartphone through uCloudlink’s GlocalMe app.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
The desert can be hot and rough, but Giveon’s soothing baritone is a balm capable of healing sunburns and broken hearts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Something else is needed to get from sunup to sundown: a balm, a gentle touch or nuzzling of some sort.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
The research, published in the Journal of Archaeological Science, analyzed 35 samples of balms and bandages from 19 mummies.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 16, 2026
He partners with Karishma and the willfully clueless Brij in a profitable business manufacturing ayurvedic balms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Now, nearly a decade and many petitions later, the prodigal wrap returns to the United States with the kind of quiet fanfare usually reserved for cult-favorite lip balms or discontinued sodas.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2025
Pressed Juicery, which has 19 locations in the L.A. area, has not marketed any products as balms for election anxiety and stress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2024
The shampoos and lotions and balms that used to be at the back of the store I shift to shelves near the pharmacy, so that people filling prescriptions can also buy plasters and ointments.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
