Cheer

Cheer - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CHEER, v.t.

1. To salute with shouts of joy, or cheers.

2. To dispel gloom, sorrow, silence or apathy; to cause to rejoice; to gladden; to make cheerful; as, to cheer a lonely desert; the cheering rays of the sun; good news cheers the heart.

3. To infuse life; spirit, animation; to incite; to encourage; as, to cheer the hounds.

CHEER, v.i. To grow cheerful; to become gladsome, or joyous.

At sight of thee my gloomy soul cheers up.

Cheer up, my lads.

CHEER, n.

1. A shout of joy; as, they gave three cheers.

2. A state of gladness or joy; a state of animation, above gloom and depression of spirits, but below mirth, gayety and jollity.

Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. Mat 9.

Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. Acts 27.

3. Mirth; gayety; jollity; as at a feast.

4. Invitation to gayety.

5. Entertainment; that which makes cheerful; provisions for a feast.

The table was loaded with good cheer.

6. Air of countenance, noting a greater or less degree of cheerfulness.

His words their drooping cheer Enlightened.

Cheerfulness - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

CHEERFULNESS, n. Life; animation; good spirits; a state of moderate joy or gayety; alacrity.

He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. Rom 12.

cher, cher'-fool-nes: The English word "cheer" meant:

(1) originally face, countenance (Greek kara, "head," through Old French, chere, "face"),

(2) then the expression on the face, especially

(3) the expression of good spirits, and finally

(4) good spirits, without any reference to the facial expression.

The noun "cheer" in English Versions of the Bible is only found with adjective "good" (except 1 Esdras 9:54, "great cheer"), the word not having quite lost its earlier neutral character (any face expression, whether joyous or otherwise). In Old Testament, Tobh, is translated "cheer," "let thy heart cheer thee" (see GOOD); sameach, "to rejoice" is so translated in De 24:5, "shall cheer his wife" (the King James Version "cheer up his wife"), and Jud 9:13, "wine, which cheereth God ('elohim) and man." The phrase "of good cheer" occurs in Old Testament in Job 9:27 (the King James Version "comfort"); in Apocrypha, 1 Esdras 9:54; The Wisdom of Solomon 18:6; Baruch 4:5,30; Sirach 18:32 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) "luxury"); in New Testament for Greek euthumeo, euthumos, in Ac 27:22,25,36, and for tharseo in Mt 9:2,22. (the King James Version "comfort"); Mt 14:27; Mr 6:50; 10:49 (RV; "comfort" in the King James Version); Joh 16:33; Ac 23:11. "Cheer" as verb transitive occurs in Ec 11:9; Deu 24:5; Jud 9:13.

Cheerful occurs in Pr 15:13,15 (the King James Version "merry"); Zec 8:19; 9:17 the King James Version; Sirach 30:25; 2Co 9:7.

Cheerfully, Ac 24:10.

Cheerfulness, Ro 12:8.

D. Miall Edwards