 6 definitions found
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
balm
noun
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 The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Balm \Balm\, verb (used with an object)
To anoint with balm, or with anything medicinal. Hence: To
soothe; to mitigate. [Archaic] --Shak.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Balm \Balm\ (b[aum]m), noun [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}.]
1. (Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus {Melissa}.
2. The resinous and aromatic exudation of certain trees or
shrubs. --Dryden.
3. Any fragrant ointment. --Shak.
4. Anything that heals or that mitigates pain. ''Balm for
each ill.'' --Mrs. Hemans.
{Balm cricket} (Zo["o]l.), 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).
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.).
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