bless
bless [bless blesses blessed blessing] verb, exclamation BrE [bles] NAmE [bles]
verb (blessed, blessedBrE [blest] ; NAmE [blest] )
1. ~ sb/sth to ask God to protect sb/sth
•They brought the children to Jesus and he blessed them.
•God bless you!
2. ~ sth to make sth holy by saying a prayer over it
•The priest blessed the bread and wine.
3. ~ sb/sth (formal)to call God holy; to praise God
•We bless your holy name, O Lord.
4. ~ sb/sth (old-fashioned, informal)used to express surprise
•Bless my soul! Here comes Bill!
•‘Where's Joe?’ ‘I'm blessed if I know!’ (= I don't know)
more at God bless at ↑god
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
Old English blēdsian, blētsian, based on blōd ‘blood’ (i.e. originally perhaps ‘mark or consecrate with blood’). The meaning was influenced by its being used to translate Latin benedicere ‘to praise, worship’, and later by association with ↑bliss.
Idioms: ↑bless you ▪ bless you/her/him ▪ ↑blessed with somebody
exclamation (BrE, sometimes humorous)
used to show affection towards sb because of sth they have done
•‘He bought us all a present.’ ‘Oh, bless!’
Word Origin:
Old English blēdsian, blētsian, based on blōd ‘blood’ (i.e. originally perhaps ‘mark or consecrate with blood’). The meaning was influenced by its being used to translate Latin benedicere ‘to praise, worship’, and later by association with ↑bliss.
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