balsam

[bawl-suh m]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR balsam ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any of various fragrant exudations from certain trees, especially trees of the genus Commiphora, as balm-of-Gilead.Compare balm(def 1).

the similar products yielded by the leguminous trees Myroxylon pereirae and M. balsamum, of South America.Compare Peru balsam, tolu.

oleoresin(def 1).

any of certain transparent turpentines, as Canada balsam.

a plant or tree yielding a balsam.

balsam fir.

any of several plants belonging to the genus Impatiens, as I. balsamina, a common garden annual.Compare balsam family.

any aromatic ointment for ceremonial or medicinal use.

any agency that heals, soothes, or restores: the balsam of understanding and appreciation.

Origin of balsam

before 1000; Middle English balsamum, balsaum, Old English balzaman < Latin balsamum < Greek bálsamon. See balm

Related formsbal·sa·ma·ceous

[bawl-suh-mey-shuh s] /ˌbɔl səˈmeɪ ʃəs/, adjectivebal·sam·ic

[bawl-sam-ik] /bɔlˈsæm ɪk/, adjectivebal·sam·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for balsam

ointment, potion, salve, lotion, preparation, emollient, analgesic, unction, dressing, unguent, application, compound, medicine, prescription, formula, poultice, cream, embrocation, demulcent, cerate

Examples from the Web for balsam

Contemporary Examples of balsam

On the way down he identifies trees by which needles are best to sleep on: Balsam fir is good.
Pete Dexter’s Indelible Portrait of Author Norman Maclean
Pete Dexter
March 23, 2014

Historical Examples of balsam

Here is a piece of gum benzoin, the substance from which Friar's balsam is made.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 417
Various
It is found on dead pine, spruce, balsam, and other conifers.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard
When the heart is sick and sorest, There is balsam in the forest–– There is balsam in the forestFor its pain.
Irish Fairy Tales
Edmond Leamy
As straight as a pine, as sweet as a balsam, as sound as a white oak.
St. Cuthbert's
Robert E. Knowles
A balsam in Gaelic tales, in which a “Vessel of Balsam” often occurs.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston

British Dictionary definitions for balsam

balsam

noun

any of various fragrant oleoresins, such as balm or tolu, obtained from any of several trees and shrubs and used as a base for medicines and perfumes

any of various similar substances used as medicinal or ceremonial ointments

any of certain aromatic resinous turpentinesSee also Canada balsam

any plant yielding balsam

Also called: busy Lizzie any of several balsaminaceous plants of the genus Impatiens, esp I. balsamina, cultivated for its brightly coloured flowers

anything healing or soothing

Derived Formsbalsamic (bɔːlˈsæmɪk), adjectivebalsamy, adjective

Word Origin for balsam

C15: from Latin balsamum, from Greek balsamon, from Hebrew bāśām spice

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for balsam

1570s, "aromatic resin used for healing wounds and soothing pains," from Latin balsamum "gum of the balsam tree" (see balm). There is an isolated Old English reference from c.1000, and Middle English used basme, baume, from the French form of the word. As a type of flowering plant of the Impatiens family, it is attested from 1741.

balsam in Science

balsam

[bôl′səm]

Any of several aromatic resins that flow from certain plants and that contain considerable amounts of benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, or both, or their esters. Balsams are used in perfumes and medicines.