Balsamed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Treated with a fragrant substance that preserves and soothes
2. Covered or infused with a sticky, aromatic resin known for its preserving and calming properties
3. Applied or impregnated with a fragrant balsam that helps protect and alleviate irritation

Etymology: "Balsamed" is the past tense and past participle of "balsam", so its story is really the story of the parent word. The root is the ancient Greek "bálsamon", which named the fragrant resin of balsam trees. That Greek term was itself borrowed from a Semitic source, related to the Hebrew "bośem", meaning spice or perfume. Latin took it as "balsamum", and Old English already had "balsam" and "balsamum" meaning balsam or balm, so the word arrived in English centuries before the modern verb form existed. The English word "balm" is a doublet of "balsam", meaning both words descend from the same ancient source by different routes. The shared origin is why "balm" and "balsam" look and sound so alike despite their different spellings. The word is unrelated to "balsa", the light wood, which has an unconnected origin in Spanish.

Synonyms: embalmed, preserved, soothed, anointed, perfumed