bless us

Bless \Bless\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blessed}or {Blest}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Blessing}.] [OE. blessien, bletsen, AS. bletsian,
   bledsian, bloedsian, fr. bl?d blood; prob. originally to
   consecrate by sprinkling with blood. See {Blood}.]
   1. To make or pronounce holy; to consecrate
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            And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.
                                                  --Gen. ii. 3.
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   2. To make happy, blithesome, or joyous; to confer prosperity
      or happiness upon; to grant divine favor to.
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            The quality of mercy is . . . twice blest;
            It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
                                                  --Shak.
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            It hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy
            servant, that it may continue forever before thee.
                                                  --1 Chron.
                                                  xvii. 27 (R.
                                                  V. )
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   3. To express a wish or prayer for the happiness of; to
      invoke a blessing upon; -- applied to persons.
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            Bless them which persecute you.       --Rom. xii.
                                                  14.
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   4. To invoke or confer beneficial attributes or qualities
      upon; to invoke or confer a blessing on, -- as on food.
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            Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and
            looking up to heaven, he blessed them. --Luke ix.
                                                  16.
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   5. To make the sign of the cross upon; to cross (one's self).
      [Archaic] --Holinshed.
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   6. To guard; to keep; to protect. [Obs.]
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   7. To praise, or glorify; to extol for excellences.
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            Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within
            me, bless his holy name.              --Ps. ciii. 1.
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   8. To esteem or account happy; to felicitate.
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            The nations shall bless themselves in him. --Jer.
                                                  iv. 3.
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   9. To wave; to brandish. [Obs.]
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            And burning blades about their heads do bless.
                                                  --Spenser.
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            Round his armed head his trenchant blade he blest.
                                                  --Fairfax.
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   Note: This is an old sense of the word, supposed by Johnson,
         Nares, and others, to have been derived from the old
         rite of blessing a field by directing the hands to all
         parts of it. "In drawing [their bow] some fetch such a
         compass as though they would turn about and bless all
         the field." --Ascham.
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   {Bless me!} {Bless us!} an exclamation of surprise. --Milton.

   {To bless from}, to secure, defend, or preserve from. "Bless
      me from marrying a usurer." --Shak.
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            To bless the doors from nightly harm. --Milton.
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   {To bless with}, {To be blessed with}, to favor or endow
      with; to be favored or endowed with; as, God blesses us
      with health; we are blessed with happiness.
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