BLED, bled, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of BLEED.
BLEE, bl[=e], _n._ (_Mrs Browning_) complexion, colour. [A.S. _bleo_.]
BLEED, bl[=e]d, _v.i._ to lose blood: to die by slaughter: to issue forth or drop as blood: to have money extorted from one: to feel great pity for, as in the phrase, 'the heart bleeds:' to be as red as blood.--_v.t._ to draw blood from, esp. surgically: to extort sums of money from:--_pa.t._ and _pa.p._ bled.--_n._ BLEED'ING, a discharge of blood: the operation of letting blood.--_adj._ full of compassion: emitting sap: terribly weakened by war: (_Shak._) bloody. [A.S. _bledan_. See BLOOD.]
BLEMISH, blem'ish, _n._ a stain or defect: reproach.--_v.t._ to mark with any deformity: to tarnish: to defame.--_n._ BLEM'ISHMENT (_Spens._), the state of being blemished, disgrace. [O. Fr. _blesmir_, _blemir_, pr.p.
_blemissant_, to stain, of dubious origin. Prof. Skeat thinks it Scand., Ice. _blaman_, livid colour--_blar_, BLUE.]
BLENCH, blensh, _v.i._ to shrink or start back: to flinch. [From root of BLINK.]
BLENCH, blensh, _adj._ or _adv._ based on the payment of a nominal yearly duty.--Also BLANCH. [See BLANK.]
BLEND, blend, _v.t._ to mix together: to confound.--_v.i._ to be mingled or mixed:--_pa.p._ blend'ed and blent.--_n._ a mixture:--_n._ BLEND'ING, the act of mingling: the process by which the fusion of paints is effected.
[A.S. _blandan_.]
BLENDE, blend, _n._ native sulphuret of zinc. [Ger. _blenden_, to dazzle, from the lustre of the crystals.]
BLENHEIM, blen'em, _n._ a kind of spaniel named from the Duke of Marlborough's house.
BLENNORRHOEA, blen-no-r[=e]'a, _n._ discharge of mucus. [Gr. _blennos_, mucus.]
BLENNY, blen'ni, _n._ a genus of acanthopterygious fishes, covered with mucus or slimy matter. [Gr. _blennos_, mucus.]
BLENT, blent, (_obs._) _pa.p._ of BLEND--mixed: mingled: (_Spens._) blinded, obscured.
BLESS, bles, _v.t._ to invoke a blessing upon: to make joyous, happy, or prosperous: to consecrate by some religious rite, to cross one's self: to extol as holy, to pronounce happy, to invoke the divine favour upon: to wish happiness to: to praise or glorify:--_pa.p._ blessed (blest), or blest.--_adj._ BLESS'ED, happy: prosperous: happy in heaven, beatified.--_adv._ BLESS'EDLY.--_ns._ BLESS'EDNESS; BLESS'ING, a wish or prayer for happiness or success: any means or cause of happiness: (_B._) a gift or present: a form of invoking the favour of God at a meal.--_adv._ BLESS'INGLY.--SINGLE BLESSEDNESS, the celibate life, the unmarried state generally. [A.S. _bletsian_, to bless, prob. from _blot_, sacrifice; the word taken as--_benedic[)e]re_.]
BLESS, bles, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to brandish. [BLAZE(?).]
BLEST, blest, _pa.p._ of BLESS.
BLETHER, ble_th_'er, _v.i._ to talk garrulous nonsense.--_n._ fluent, garrulous nonsense--also BLATH'ER.--_p.adj._ BLETH'ERING, over-talkative.--_ns._ BLETH'ERSKATE, BLATH'ERSKITE (_Amer._), a blustering, noisy, talkative fellow. [M. E. _blather_, of Scand. origin, Ice. _blara_, to talk foolishly, _blar_, nonsense.]
BLEW, bl[=oo], _pa.t._ of BLOW.
BLEWITS, bl[=u]'its, _n._ a kind of mushroom. [Fr. BLUE.]
BLIGHT, bl[=i]t, _n._ a disease in plants, which blasts or withers them: anything that injures or destroys.--_v.t._ to affect with blight: to blast: to frustrate.--_p.adj._ BLIGHT'ING, withering, blasting. [Dr Murray notes that it first appears in literature in the 17th century; prob. orig. of Scand. origin; cf. Ice. _blettr_, a stain; perh. related to BLEACH, BLEAK.]
BLIN, blin, _v.t._ (_Spens._) to cease.--_n._ cessation: stoppage. [A.S.
_blinnan_, to cease, pfx. _be-_, and _linnan_, to cease.]
BLIND, bl[=i]nd, _adj._ without sight: dark: ignorant or undiscerning: without an opening.--_n._ something to mislead: a window-screen: a shade.--_v.t._ to make blind; to darken, obscure, or deceive; to dazzle.--_pa.p._ bl[=i]nd'ed; _pr.p._ bl[=i]nd'ing.--_ns._ BLIND'AGE (_mil._) a temporary wooden screen faced with earth as a protection against splinters of shell and the like; BLIND'-COAL, non-bituminous coal.--_adj._ BLIND'ED, deprived of sight: without intellectual discernment.--_n._ BLIND'ER, one who or that which blinds; (_pl._) a horse's blinkers.--_adj._ BLIND'FOLD, having the eyes bandaged, so as not to see: thoughtless: reckless.--_v.t._ to cover the eyes: to mislead.--_adj._ BLIND'ING, tending to make blind.--_pr.p._ making blind.--_adv._ BLIND'LY.--_ns._ BLIND'NESS, want of sight, ignorance, folly; BLIND'-SIDE, the side on which a person is blind to danger: weak point; BLIND'WORM, a small reptile, like a snake, having eyes so small as to be supposed blind.--BLIND-MAN'S BUFF, a game in which one of the party is blindfolded and tries to catch the others. [A.S.
_blind_; Ice. _blindr_.]
BLINK, blingk, _v.i._ to glance, twinkle, or wink: to see obscurely, or with the eyes half-closed: to shine unsteadily.--_v.t._ to shut out of sight: to avoid or evade.--_n._ a glimpse, glance, or wink: a momentary gleam of light, a spark.--_n._ BLINK'ARD, one who blinks or has bad eyes.--_p.adj._ BLINKED, affected with blinking.--_n.pl._ BLINK'ERS, pieces of leather fastened to the cheek-pieces of a horse's head-stall in driving to prevent him seeing in any direction except straightforward. [M. E. a variant of _blenk_, prob. the same as BLENCH (q.v.).]
BLIRT, blirt, _n._ (_Scot._) a fit of crying.--_v.i._ to burst into tears.
[Prob. the same as BLURT.]
BLISS, blis, _n._ the highest happiness: the special happiness of heaven, heaven.--_adj._ BLISS'FUL.--_adv._ BLISS'FULLY.--_n._ BLISS'FULNESS.--_adj._ BLISS'LESS, without bliss. [A.S. _blis_, _blie_, BLITHE.]
BLIST, blist, _pa.t._ (_Spens._) wounded: struck. [From Fr. _blesser_, to wound.]
BLISTER, blis't[.e]r, _n._ a thin bubble or bladder on the skin, containing watery matter: a pustule: a plaster applied to raise a blister.--_v.t._ to raise a blister.--_ns._ BLIS'TER-BEE'TLE, BLIS'TER-FLY, the cantharis, or Spanish fly, used for blistering; BLIS'TER-PLAS'TER, a plaster made of Spanish flies used to raise a blister; BLIS'TER-STEEL, BLIS'TERED-STEEL, steel blistered in the process of manufacture, used for making tools, &c.--_adj._ BLIS'TERY. [M. E.; most prob. O. Fr. _blestre_, conn. with Old Norse _blastr_, _blasa_, to blow; Ger. _blase_.]
BLITHE, bl[=i]th, _adj._ happy: gay; sprightly.--_adv._ BLITHE'LY.--_n._ BLITHE'NESS.--_adj._ BLITHE'SOME, joyous.--_adv._ BLITHE'SOMELY.--_n._ BLITHE'SOMENESS. [A.S. _blie_, joyful. See BLISS.]
BLIVE, bl[=i]v, _adv._ (_Spens._). Same as BELIVE.
BLIZZARD, bliz'ard, _n._ a blinding storm of wind and snow, a snow-squall.--_adjs._ BLIZZ'ARDLY, BLIZZ'ARDOUS. [A modern coinage--most prob. onomatopoeic, on the analogy of _blow_, _blast_, &c.]
BLOAT, bl[=o]t, _v.t._ to swell or puff out: to dry by smoke (applied to fish).--_v.i._ to swell or dilate: to grow turgid.--_p.adj._ BLOAT'ED.--_n._ BLOAT'ER, a herring partially dried in smoke, esp. at Yarmouth. [Scand., as in Sw. _blot_, soft.]
BLOB, blob, _n._ a drop of liquid: anything soft and round, like a gooseberry: a round spot. [Imit.]
[Illustration]
BLOCK, blok, _n._ an unshaped mass of wood or stone, &c.: the wood on which criminals were wont to be beheaded: (_mech._) a pulley together with its framework; a piece of wood on which something is formed: a connected group of houses: an obstruction: a blockhead.--_v.t._ to enclose or shut up: to obstruct: to shape or sketch out roughly.--_n._ BLOCKADE', the blocking up of a place by surrounding it with troops or by ships.--_v.t._ to block up by troops or ships.--_ns._ BLOCK'-HEAD, one with a head like a block, a stupid fellow; BLOCK'-HOUSE, a small temporary fort generally made of logs.--_adj._ BLOCK'ISH, like a block: stupid: dull.--_ns._ BLOCK'-PRINT'ING, printing of BLOCK'-BOOKS, from engraved wooden blocks or pages; BLOCK'-SHIP, a war-ship, inefficient for service in action on account of age, but useful in defence of ports; BLOCK'-SYS'TEM, a system of working trains in which no train is allowed on to a section of line so long as any other train is on that section; BLOCK'-TIN, tin in the form of blocks or ingots. [Widely spread, but acc. to Skeat, of Celt. origin, Gael.
_ploc_, Old Ir. _blog_, a fragment. See PLUG.]
BLOKE, bl[=o]k, _n._ a fellow, a man familiarly. [Ety. quite unknown--at any rate not Gipsy.]
BLONCKET, blongk'et, _adj._ (_Spens._) gray. [Fr. _blanchet_, whitish, dim.
of _blanc_, white.]
BLONDE, blond, _n._ a person of fair complexion with light hair and blue eyes--opp. to _Brunette_.--_adj._ of a fair complexion: fair. [Fr.]
BLOND-LACE, blond'-l[=a]s, _n._ lace made of silk, so called from its colour.
BLONT, blont, _adj._ (_Spens._). Same as BLUNT.
BLOOD, blud, _n._ the red fluid in the arteries and veins of men and animals: descent, of human beings, good birth: relationship, kindred: elliptically for a blood-horse, one of good pedigree: a rake or swaggering dandy about town: the blood-royal, as in 'princes of blood:' temperament: bloodshed or murder: the juice of anything, esp. if red: the supposed seat of passion--hence temper, anger, as in the phrase, 'his blood is up,' &c.: the sensual nature of man.--_interj._ 'S BLOOD--God's blood.--_adjs._ BLOOD'-BESPOT'TED (_Shak._), spotted with blood; BLOOD'-BOLT'ERED (_Shak._), sprinkled with blood as from a bolter or sieve; BLOOD'-BOUGHT, bought at the expense of blood or life; BLOOD'-FROZ'EN (_Spens._), having the blood frozen or chilled.--_ns._ BLOOD'GUILT'INESS, the guilt of shedding blood, as in murder; BLOOD'HEAT, heat of the same degree as that of the human blood (about 98 Fahr.); BLOOD'-HORSE, a horse of the purest and most highly prized blood, origin, or stock.--_adj._ BLOOD'-HOT, as hot or warm as blood.--_n._ BLOOD'HOUND, a large hound formerly employed in tracing human beings: a blood-thirsty person.--_adv._ BLOOD'ILY.--_adj._ BLOOD'LESS, without blood, dead: without the shedding of blood: (_Shak._) without spirit or activity.--_ns._ BLOOD'-LET'TING, the act of letting blood, or bleeding by opening a vein; BLOOD'-MON'EY, money earned by laying or supporting a capital charge against any one, esp. if the charge be false or made by an accomplice; BLOOD'-POIS'ONING, a name popularly, but loosely, used of pyaemia and allied diseases; BLOOD'-PUD'DING, a pudding made with blood and other materials; BLOOD'-REL[=A]'TION, one related by blood or marriage; BLOOD'-SAC'RIFICE (_Shak._), a sacrifice made with bloodshed; BLOOD'SHED, the shedding of blood: slaughter.--_adjs._ BLOOD'SHOT (of the eye), red or inflamed with blood; BLOOD'-SIZED, sized or smeared with blood.--_n._ BLOOD'-SPAV'IN, a disease of horses consisting of the swelling of a vein on the inside of the hock, from a checking of the blood.--_adj._ BLOOD'-STAINED, stained with blood: guilty of murder.--_ns._ BLOOD'-STONE, a dark-green variety of quartz, variegated with blood-like spots of red jasper, the heliotrope; a brown ore of iron, hematite; BLOOD'-SUCK'ER, an animal that sucks blood, esp. a leech: an extortioner, one who sponges upon another.--_adj._ BLOOD'-SUCK'ING (_Shak._), that sucks or draws blood.--_ns._ BLOOD'-TAX, conscription or universal military service, as drawing from the nation a certain number of lives or recruits annually; BLOOD'-THIRST'INESS, thirst or desire for shedding blood.--_adj._ BLOOD'-THIRST'Y, having a thirst or desire to shed blood.--_ns._ BLOOD'-VES'SEL, a vessel in which blood circulates, a vein or artery; BLOOD'-WORM, a small red earthworm used by anglers.--_adj._ BLOOD'Y, of the nature of blood: stained with blood: murderous, cruel: vulgarly, as an _adj._ emphasising anger or the like: as an _adv._ employed as a mere intensive--most prob. from the habits of the 'bloods' about the beginning of the 18th century (Etheredge, '_bloody_-drunk').--_v.t._ to make bloody.--_n._ BLOOD'Y-BONES, a phrase, together with _Rawhead_, applied to a children's bugbear.--_adjs._ BLOOD'Y-EYED; BLOOD'Y-FACED.--_ns._ BLOOD'Y-FLUX, dysentery, in which the discharges from the bowels are mixed with blood; BLOOD'Y-HAND (_her._), the armorial device of Ulster, hence of baronets.--_adj._ BLOOD'Y-MIND'ED.--_ns._ BLOOD'Y-MIND'EDNESS; BLOOD'Y-SWEAT, a sweat accompanied with the discharge of blood.--AVENGER OF BLOOD, the next-of-kin to a murdered man, whose duty it was to avenge his death--the Hebrew _Goel_.--EATING OF BLOOD, prohibited under the Old Testament dispensation, Jews still killing their own butcher-meat.--IN BLOOD, in full vigour; IN HOT or COLD BLOOD, under or free from excitement or sudden passion. [A.S. _blod_--root _blowan_, to bloom; cog. with Old.
Fris. _blod_, Ger. _blut_.]
BLOOM, bl[=oo]m, _v.i._ to put forth blossoms: to flower: to be in a state of beauty or vigour: to flourish: to give a bloom or warm tint to anything.--_n._ a blossom or flower: the opening of flowers: rosy colour: the prime or highest perfection of anything: the first freshness of beauty of anything: the flush or glow on the cheek--(_Spens._) BLOSME.--_p.adj._ BLOOM'ING, bright, shining, flourishing: (_slang_) full-blown.--_adjs._ BLOOM'LESS, without bloom; BLOOM'Y, flowery: flourishing. [Ice. _blom_; cf.
Goth. _bloma_, Ger. _blume_.]
BLOOMER, bl[=oo]m'[.e]r, _n._ and _adj._ a dress for women, partly resembling men's dress, devised by Mrs _Bloomer_ of New York about 1849, consisting of a jacket with close sleeves, a skirt falling a little below the knee, and a pair of Turkish trousers.
BLOOMERY, bl[=oo]m'[.e]r-i, _n._ the first forge through which iron passes after it has been melted from the ore, and where it is made into BLOOMS, or rough ingots, for hammering or drawing out.
BLORE, bl[=o]r, _n._ a violent gust of wind. [Prob. related to BLARE and BLOW.]
BLOSME. See BLOOM.
BLOSSOM, blos'om, _n._ a flower-bud, the flower that precedes fruit.--_v.i._ to put forth blossoms or flowers: to flourish and prosper.--_n._ BLOSS'OMING.--_adj._ BLOSS'OMY, covered with flowers, flowery. [A.S. _blostm_, _blostma_, from root of BLOOM.]
BLOT, blot, _n._ a spot or stain: an obliteration, as of something written: a stain in reputation.--_v.t._ to spot or stain: to obliterate or destroy: to disgrace: to dry writing with blotting-paper:--_pr.p._ blot'ting; _pa.p._ blot'ted.--_n._ and _adj._ BLOT'TESQUE, a painting executed with heavy blot-like touches, a daub or (_fig._) a vigorous descriptive sketch.--_n._ BLOTTING-P[=A]'PER, unsized paper, used for absorbing ink.--_adj._ BLOT'TY. [Prob. Scand., as in Dan. _plet_, Ice. _blettr_, a spot.]