Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of several resinous trees or shrubs of the genus Commiphora, especially C. gileadensis, of northeastern Africa and Arabia.
- noun Any of several North American poplar trees having aromatic, resinous buds, especially the balsam poplar and the hybrid species Populus ×jackii.
- noun The aromatic resin of any of these plants.
- noun A shrubby plant (Cedronella canariensis) in the mint family, native to Madeira and the Canary Islands, having fragrant leaves and pink flowers.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun small evergreen tree of Africa and Asia; leaves have a strong aromatic odor when bruised
- noun medium-sized fir of northeastern North America; leaves smell of balsam when crushed; much used for pulpwood and Christmas trees
- noun a fragrant oleoresin
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[After Gilead, known for its balm.]
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ruzuzu commented on the word balm of Gilead
See comments on balm of gilead.
August 5, 2010
isnotnull commented on the word balm of Gilead
Balm of Gilead was a rare perfume used medicinally, that was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, and named for the region of Gilead, where it was produced. The expression stems from William Tyndale's language in the King James Bible of 1611, and has come to signify a universal cure in figurative speech.
Source: Wikipedia
My favorite reference to the Balm of Gilead comes from Edgar Allan Poe's poem, The Raven
November 16, 2023