benison

English

Etymology

From Middle English benysoun, beneson, borrowed from Old French beneïson, from Latin benedictiō, benedictiōnem. First known use: 14th century. Doublet of benediction.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnɪsən/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (obsolete) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛnɪzʌn/, /ˈbɛnɪzən/
• Rhymes: -ɛnɪsən

Noun

benison (plural benisons)

1. (chiefly literary) A blessing; benediction.
   • 1847 September 11, William J. Thoms, “The Folk-lore of Shakespeare”, in The Athenaeum, London, page 958, column 1:

     That elf-maiden smote with her hand so white,
     “Sorrow and sickness on thee alight”
     That elf-maiden smote with her cap so small,
     “No more shall priest's benison on thee fall!”

   • 1855, Anthony Trollope, The Warden, →ISBN, page 197:

     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?

Antonyms

• malison

Translations

blessing

• Bulgarian: благослови́я f (blagoslovíja)
• Galician: beizón f
• German: Segen (de) m
• Russian: благослове́ние (ru) n (blagoslovénije)

Anagrams

• Bonines, bonnies