DCHP-1 Online
balsam (fir) † 
1 n. a slender evergreen, Abies balsamea, found in Canada from northeastern Alberta eastward, the source of Canada balsam (def. 1).
See also: Canada balsam sapin silver fir (def. 1) silver pine var
- 1822 (1928) Patches of the balsam-fir grow principally where the steepness does not prevent debris from lodging.
- 1882 Amongst the kinds may be mentioned . . . balsam. . . .
- 1962 . . . the balsam woolly aphid [is] a serious pest of balsam fir in the Atlantic Provinces
2 n. the wood of this tree.
- 1854 Green wood should always be sold nearly a third less than dry, and soft, such as cedar . . . balsam, &c. at an equal reduction.
- 1957 All of the lumber is spruce, balsam or jackpine from the Longlac limits.
3 n. the clear resin of the balsam fir, much used as a cement in optical work, formerly used widely as a balm on cuts and minor wounds, and once popular as a chewing gum.
- 1836 On Thursday, a woman of the name of Dupre, living in the concession Ste. Rosalie, was occupied boiling gum or Balsam.
- 1941 Sap of the birch and resin of the pine, / Balsam of fir in mountain purity. . . .
4 n. a fir tree, Abies amabilis, of the Pacific Coast.
- 1822 (1928) Patches of the balsam-fir grow principally where the steepness does not prevent debris from lodging.