balm (redirected from Balm, Switzerland)

balm, name for any balsam resin and for several plants, e.g., the bee balm.

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balm

Any of several fragrant herbs of the mint family, particularly Melissa officinalis (balm gentle, or lemon balm), cultivated in temperate climates for its fragrant leaves, which are used as a scent in perfumes and as a flavouring. The name is also applied to Melittis melissophyllum (bastard balm), Monarda didyma (bergamot, or bee balm), Collinsonia canadensis (horse balm), Glecoma hederacea and Satureja (Calamintha) nepeta (field balm), and Molucella laevis (Molucca balm, or bells of Ireland), as well as to aromatic substances from species of Commiphora (trees and shrubs of the incense-tree family).

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balm

1. any of various oily aromatic resinous substances obtained from certain tropical trees and used for healing and soothing

2. any plant yielding such a substance, esp the balm of Gilead

3. an aromatic Eurasian herbaceous plant, Melissa officinalis, having clusters of small fragrant white two-lipped flowers: family Lamiaceae (labiates)

4. any aromatic or oily substance used for healing or soothing

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balm [bäm]

(geology)

A concave cliff or precipice that forms a shelter.

(medicine)

A soothing or healing medication.

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(language)

BALM - (Block And List Manipulation) An extensible language, developed by Malcolm Harrison in 1970, with LISP-like features and ALGOL-like syntax, for CDC 6600. ["The Balm Programming Language", Malcolm Harrison, Courant Inst, May 1973].