1
a
: an aromatic and usually oily and resinous substance flowing from various plants
especially
: any of several resinous substances containing benzoic or cinnamic acid and used especially in medicine
b
: a preparation containing resinous substances and having a balsamic odor
2
a
: a balsam-yielding tree
especially
: balsam fir
b
: impatiens
especially
: a common garden ornamental (Impatiens balsamina)
3
Examples of balsam in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The place was a balsam bog loaded with snowshoe hares in Schoolcraft County on Michigan’s upper peninsula.
—
Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Their journey began with a crude prototype made of balsam wood and culminated in a $2.1 billion acquisition by Google in 2021.
6.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Dec. 2024
Music was played by the Marine Band, and a 48-foot-tall balsam firm from Vermont was lit.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Its blend of juniper berry, cedar wood, and balsam comes together to create the scent of a pine tree.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for balsam 
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Erwin A. Bauer, Outdoor Life, 25 Dec. 2024
Their journey began with a crude prototype made of balsam wood and culminated in a $2.1 billion acquisition by Google in 2021.
6.
—IEEE Spectrum, 25 Dec. 2024
Music was played by the Marine Band, and a 48-foot-tall balsam firm from Vermont was lit.
—Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Its blend of juniper berry, cedar wood, and balsam comes together to create the scent of a pine tree.
—Isabel Garcia, People.com, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for balsam
Dictionary Entries Near balsam
Cite this Entry
“Balsam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balsam. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
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Medical Definition
balsam
noun
bal·sam
ˈbȯl-səm 
1
a
: an aromatic and usually oily and resinous substance flowing from various plants
especially
: any of several resinous substances containing benzoic or cinnamic acid and used especially in medicine
b
: a preparation containing resinous substances and having a balsamic odor
2
: a balsam-yielding tree
3
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