Balsam
//ˈbɔl.səm// name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants. UK, countable, uncountable
- 2 an ointment containing a fragrant resin wordnet
- 3 A plant or tree yielding such substance. UK, countable, uncountable
- 4 any seed plant yielding balsam wordnet
- 5 A soothing ointment. UK, countable, uncountable
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 any of various fragrant oleoresins used in medicines and perfumes wordnet
- 7 Something soothing. UK, countable, figuratively, uncountable
"Classical music is a sweet balsam for our sorrows"
- 8 A flowering plant of the genus Impatiens. countable, uncountable
- 9 The balsam family of flowering plants (Balsaminaceae), which includes Impatiens and Hydrocera. countable, uncountable
- 10 A balsam fir Abies balsamea. countable, uncountable
- 11 Canada balsam, a turpentine obtained from the resin of balsam fir. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To treat or anoint with balsam. transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from German.
Example
More examples"The old man tasted the balsam with his tongue, and found it good."
Etymology
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from German Balsam, an occupational surname for a seller of perfumes. It could also be an English habitational surname, from Balsham, in Cambridgeshire.
Related phrases
More for "balsam"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.