balm
noun
2.
semisolid preparation (usually containing a medicine) applied externally as a remedy or for soothing an irritation
Origin
Inherited from Middle English bawme, borrowed from Anglo-Norman and Middle French baume, from Old French basme, from Latin balsamum, itself from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon). Spelling modified 16th c. to conform to Latin etymology. Doublet of balsam and desman.
Phrases
- balm of Gilead
- balm of Judea
- balm of Mecca
- balm tea
- basil balm
- beard balm
- heart balm
- lip balm
Related words
Word family
Part of
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.