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bless

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The definition of bless means to protect, make holy, to favor or to make lucky or happy.

(verb)

An example of to bless is a seat belt saving the life of a person in a horrible accident, to bless with safety.
An example of to bless is a minister asking God to heal a sick person, bless this sick person.
An example of to bless is gifting items to a family in need, to bless with gifts.

See bless in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb blessed or blest, blessing

to make or declare holy by a spoken formula or a sign; hallow; consecrate
to ask divine favor for: the minister blessed the congregation
to favor or endow (with): to be blessed with eloquence
to make happy or prosperous; gladden: he blessed us with his leadership
to think (oneself) happy; congratulate (oneself)
to praise or glorify: to bless the Lord
to make the sign of the cross over or upon
to keep or protect from harm, evil, etc.: obsolete, except in prayers, exclamations, etc.

Origin: ME blessen, bletsien < OE bletsian, bledsian < blod, blood: rite of consecration by sprinkling an altar with blood

See bless in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb blessed blessed or blest (blĕst), bless·ing, bless·es

To make holy by religious rite; sanctify.
To make the sign of the cross over so as to sanctify.
To invoke divine favor upon.
To honor as holy; glorify: Bless the Lord.
To confer well-being or prosperity on.
To endow, as with talent.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English blessen

Origin: , from Old English blētsian, to consecrate; see bhel-³ in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

blessˈer noun

Word History: The verb bless comes from Old English blœ̄dsian, blēdsian, blētsian, “to bless, wish happiness, consecrate.” Although the Old English verb has no cognates in any other Germanic language, it can be shown to derive from the Germanic noun *blōdan, “blood.” Blœ̄dsian therefore literally means “to consecrate with blood, sprinkle with blood.” The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, the early Germanic migrants to Britain, used blœ̄dsian for their pagan sacrifices. After they converted to Christianity, blœ̄dsian acquired new meanings as a result of its use in translations of the Latin Bible, but it kept its pagan Germanic senses as well.

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