Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A blessing; a benediction.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Blessing; benediction.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Blessing; beatitude; benediction.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A blessing; benediction.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a spoken blessing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French beneison, from Latin benedictiō, benedictiōn-, praising; see benediction.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English beneson, from Old French beneison, from Latin benedictio. First known use: 14th century.

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Examples

  • Thus it is my holy benison to be employed by this excellent Lady and is why I am writing to you in this capacity.

    Ellis Weiner: Recent O'Donnell Fundraising Letter 2010

  • Thus it is my holy benison to be employed by this excellent Lady and is why I am writing to you in this capacity.

    Ellis Weiner: Recent O'Donnell Fundraising Letter 2010

  • Our Lady, my benison upon her, is also a noble person of long descent, and rightful heir of this place and barony, and she also loves her will; as for that matter, show me the woman who doth not.

    The Abbot 2008

  • In it, the Leader of the seder (usually a father, grandfather, or guest of honor) recites a series of God's blessings on the Jewish people, to which the assembled express thanks and proclaim that each benison, in and of itself, would have been "enough."

    Ellis Weiner: A Public Service from The Huffington Post: Dayenu 5766 2008

  • As, Shaun replied patly, with tootlepick tact too and a down of his dampers, to that I have the gumpower and, by the benison of Barbe, that is a lock to say with everything, my be-loved. —

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • With the benison of Big Tim Sullivan, Arnold had been involved in bookmaking, shylocking, and gambling enterprises since at least the turn of the century.

    May 2005: Nick Tosches on Arnold Rothstein Tosches, Nick 2005

  • So when Babette, a “fan of Goddard, Planned Parenthood, and The Nation,” read a singles ad from a “SWM whose passions include Amnesty International, EarthFirst! and a free Tibet,” well, it sent hopeful little bells of benison cascading through her heart.

    Last Lullaby Denise Hamilton 2004

  • So when Babette, a “fan of Goddard, Planned Parenthood, and The Nation,” read a singles ad from a “SWM whose passions include Amnesty International, EarthFirst! and a free Tibet,” well, it sent hopeful little bells of benison cascading through her heart.

    Last Lullaby Denise Hamilton 2004

  • Poor old men! how could they be cordial with their sore consciences and shamed faces? how could they bid God bless him with hearty voices and a true benison, knowing, as they did, that their vile cabal had driven him from his happy home, and sent him in his old age to seek shelter under a strange roof-tree?

    The Warden 2004

  • And Zal answered her benison, and prayed that he might enter into nearer converse, for he was on the ground and she was on the roof.

    The Epic of Kings Firdausi 2002

Comments

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  • from essay "Jonathan Williams" by Guy Davenport

    January 19, 2010