Forms: 3 basme, 3–5 bame, (4 balsme), 4–7 bawm(e, 4–8 baume, 4–9 baum, 5 bavme, 5–6 bawlme, 5–7 baulme, balme, 7 baulm, 6– balm. [ME. basme, bame, a. OF. basme, later bâme (= Pr. basme, It. balsamo):—L. balsamum: see BALSAM, -UM. Also, ME. baume, bawme, a. OF. (13th c.) bausme, baume, literary or semi-literary refashionings of basme, bâme, influenced by L. bal-; whence also come the Eng. spellings balsme, baulm(e, bawlm(e, through which the ME. baum(e, bawm(e, has been gradually altered to balm.]
I. The aromatic resinous product.
1. An aromatic substance, consisting of resin mixed with volatile oils, exuding naturally from various trees of the genus Balsamodendron, and much prized for its fragrance and medicinal properties. (Cf. BALSAM 1 b.)
c. 1220. Hali Meid., 13. Swote smirles … þat is icleopet basme.
c. 1340. Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 652. Of herbes and tres, springes baum ful gude.
c. 1400. Maundev., v. 52. Fyn Bawme is more hevy twyes, than is the Bawme that is sophisticate. Ibid., xxvii. 276. Brennethe a vesselle … fulle of Bawme, for to ȝeven gode smelle.
1494. Fabyan, VI. clvi. 145. He sent to hym also tentis of ryche sylke & baulme naturall.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., II. 35. This oile hath al the vertues of true Balme.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 165. Balm slowly trickles through the bleeding Veins Of happy Shrubs, in Idumæan Plains.
a. 1842. Tennyson, St. S. Stylites, 208. Spikenard, and balm, and frankincense.
† 2. An aromatic preparation for embalming the dead. Obs.
c. 1340. Cursor M. (Laud MS.), 11503. A bawme of wonder bytternes That dedmen with anoynted is.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxliii. 284. Kyng Henry … closed it [the body of King Richard] in a fayre cheste with dyuerse speceryes and baumes.
1618. [See BALMER1.]
3. Fragrant oil or ointment used for anointing.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, 138. Wyth swete bawm she anoyntyd had be.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., III. ii. 55. Not all the water in the rough rude Sea Can wash the Balme from an anoynted King.
1623. Favine, Theat. Hon., II. xiii. 254. The holy Viole or Bottell, full of Baulme.
4. fig. Aromatic fragrance, agreeable perfume.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 220/3. She had sothly the bame of good odour … in conuersacion.
1570. Holinshed, Scot. Chron., I. 26. The proverbe … that the sow recks not of balme.
1728. Thomson, Spring, 733. When nought but balm is breathing thro’ the woods.
1866. B. Taylor, Poems of Orient, 158. I love the palm, With his leaves of beauty, his fruit of balm.
5. Aromatic ointment used for soothing pain or healing wounds; = BALSAM sb. 2. arch.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 315. This maister hath her every jointe With … balsme anointe.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Hawking, A iiij. Anoynt the soore with bawme.
1563. T. Gale, Antidot., II. 34. The Baulme wherewyth greene and freshe woundes are spedilye cured.
1671. Milton, Samson, 186. As Balm to fester’d wounds.
6. transf. or fig. A healing, soothing, or softly restorative, agency or influence.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Ps. cxli. 5. Let not their precious balms break my head.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. ii. 13. Loe, in these windowes … I powre the helplesse Balme of my poore eyes.
1643. N. Lockyer (title), Baulme for Bleeding England and Ireland.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 402. The soft delicious Air … Shall breath her balme.
1755. Young, Centaur, iv. Wks. 1757, IV. 208. There is a sovereign balm in prayer.
1807. Crabbe, Library, 57. See here the balms that passion’s wounds assuage.
1870. Bryant, Homer, VII. I. 235. They laid them down to rest, And so received the balm of sleep.
7. Comb. and Attrib., as balm-breathing, -dew, -liquor, -shrub, -tree, -word; also balm-like adj.; balm-shed, the season when balm is distilled.
1595. Lodge, Fig for Momus, v. To guide the Sages of *balme-breathing East.
1830. Tennyson, Talking Oak, 268. *Balm-dews to bathe thy feet.
1569. Spenser, Sonn., ix. With *Balmlike odor did perfume the aire.
c. 1570. Scot. Poems 16th C. (1801), II. 304. In rottin bosses no *balme liquor lyes.
1840. Browning, Sordello, VI. 445. Why grudge your having gained … The brakes at *balm-shed.
1840. Carlyle, Heroes, ii. 74. Odoriferous *balm-shrubs.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVI. xxxii. The *balm tree can abide no other place but Iury.
1871. Macduff, Mem. Patmos, vi. 75. What *balm-words for the martyred disciples.
II. 8. A tree yielding balm; these trees belong to the genus Balsamodendron, N.O. Amyridaceæ, and are found in Asia and northern Africa.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 107. Iudea is riche … of baume [L. balsamis], of olyues, of pomgarnet.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 27/1. Bawme, tre, balsamus.
a. 1520. Myrr. Our Ladye, 285. Bawlme ys a tree and all that ys therein ys vertuous.
1626. Bacon, New Atl. (1658), 25. The Crosier of Balm-wood, the Pastoral Staff of Cedar.
1835. Penny Cycl., III. 345/1. The bark of the above-mentioned species of balm.
III. 9. Name of some fragrant garden herbs (N.O. Labiatæ); the chief are Balm Gentle or Balm-mint (Melissa officinalis) and Bastard Balm (Melittis melissophyllum). Also Field Balm (Calamintha Nepeta).
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 27. Bawme, herbe … melissa.
1551. Turner, Herbal, D iiij. The comon baume … is but a bastard kynde, and the true bawme … may be called in English, bawme gentle.
1600. Chapman, Odyss., V. 97. With sweet balm-gentle, and blue violets hid.
1713. Petiver, in Phil. Trans., XXVIII. 195. Our common Garden Baulm.
1813. C. Marshall, Garden., xvi. (ed. 5), 263. Balm is either plain or variegated.
b. attrib. in domestic or medicinal preparations, as balm-tea, -water, -wine; and parasynthetic deriv., as balm-leaved. Balm-mint = BALSAM-MINT.
1752. Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), III. 131. Whey at 7 this morning and baume tea at 10.
1861. Delamer, Kitch. Gard., 122. Balm-tea is a sudorific and febrifuge in high repute amongst village doctresses.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 73. Distill’d from White-Wine, Rose or Balm-Water.
1816. Scott, Antiq., vi. ‘Would you take ony thing?—a glass of balm wine?’
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 118. Balm-leaved Figwort.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 140 a. A kinde of mint that is called in English baum mynte.
IV. Balm of Gilead: see also BALSAM.
10. (Also Balm of Mecca.) A gold-colored oleo-resin exuded from the tree Balsamodendron Gileadense, or perhaps B. Opobalsamum, formerly much esteemed as an antiseptic and vulnerary. b. A factitious or ‘quack’ imitation of this. c. American B. of G.: a resin obtained from the Icica carana.
(Balsamodendron probably yields the βάλσαμον, balsamum, of the ancients. The term ‘balm of Gilead’ is modern, and like the botanical specific name Gileadense, originated in the assumption that this is the substance mentioned in the Bible as found in Gilead, and called in the English translation ‘balm.’ But the Heb. word tsŏri rendered ‘balm’ was not identified with βάλσαμον, balsamum by the LXX or Vulgate, which render it ῥητίνη, resina, resin. ‘Balm’ began with Coverdale.)
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xxxvii. 25. Ismaelites comyng from Gilead with … spyces, balme [Wycl. swete gumme, Purvey rosyn], and myrre.
1560. Bible (Geneva), Jer. viii. 22. Is there no balme [Wyclif, gumme, resyn; Coverdale, triacle] at Gilead? is there no Physition there?
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1721), 86. This Oyl they take inwardly … preferring it before Balm of Gilead.
1717. Lady Montague, Lett., 42. II. 9. As to the balm of Mecca, I will certainly send you some.
1812. Examiner, 30 Nov., 765/1. The sale of the Balm of Gilead has not been quite so extensive.
11. The evergreen shrub Dracocephalum canariense (Treas. Bot.); in quot. perhaps common Balm.
1767. Watson, in Phil. Trans., LVII. 443. I saw even the plant, usually called Balm of Gilead … flourishing without shelter [in or near London].
12. attrib. in Balm of Gilead shrub. Balm of Gilead fir: the N. American species yielding Canada Balsam.
1769. Sir J. Hill, Fam. Herbal, Balm of Gilead Shrub … grows to five or six feet high.
1833. Penny Cycl., I. 30/1. The Balm of Gilead Fir … found … in the coldest parts of North America.
