Chapter 55

Bless me! Bless us! an exclamation of surprise. Milton. Ð To bless from, to secure, defend, or preserve from. ½Bless me from marrying a usurer.¸ Shak. To bless the doors from nightly harm. Milton. ÐTo bless with, To be blessed with, to favor or endow with; to be favored or endowed with; as, God blesses us with health; we are blessed with happiness. Bless¶ed (?), a. 1. Hallowed; consecrated; worthy of blessing or adoration; heavenly; holy. O, run; prevent them with thy humble ode, And lay it lowly at his blessed feet. Milton. 2. Enjoying happiness or bliss; favored with blessings; happy; highly favored. All generations shall call me blessed. Luke i. 48. Towards England's blessed shore. Shak. 3. Imparting happiness or bliss; fraught with happiness; blissful; joyful. ½Then was a blessed time.¸ ½So blessed a disposition.¸ Shak. 4. Enjoying, or pertaining to, spiritual happiness, or heavenly felicity; as, the blessed in heaven. Reverenced like a blessed saint. Shak. Cast out from God and blessed vision. Milton. 5. (R. C. Ch.) Beatified. 6. Used euphemistically, ironically, or intensively. Not a blessed man came to set her [a boat] free. R. D. Blackmore. Bless¶edÏly, adv. Happily; fortunately; joyfully. We shall blessedly meet again never to depart. Sir P. Sidney. Bless¶edÏness, n. The state of being blessed; happiness; felicity; bliss; heavenly joys; the favor of God. The assurance of a future blessedness. Tillotson. Single blessedness, the unmarried state. ½Grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.¸ Shak. Syn. Ð Delight; beatitude; ecstasy. See Happiness. Bless¶ed this¶tle (?). See under Thistle. Bless¶er (?), n. One who blesses; one who bestows or invokes a blessing. Bless¶ing, n. [AS. bletsung. See Bless, v. t.] 1. The act of one who blesses. 2. A declaration of divine favor, or an invocation imploring divine favor on some or something; a benediction; a wish of happiness pronounces. This is the blessing, where with Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel. Deut. xxxiii. 1. 3. A means of happiness; that which promotes prosperity and welfare; a beneficent gift. Nature's full blessings would be well dispensed. Milton. 4. (Bib.) A gift. [A Hebraism] Gen. xxxiii. 11. 5. Grateful praise or worship. Blest, a. Blessed. ½This patriarch blest.¸ Milton. White these blest sounds my ravished ear assail. Trumbull. Blet (?), n. [F. blet, blette, a., soft from over ripeness.] A form of decay in fruit which is overripe. Ble¶tonÏism (?), n. The supposed faculty of perceiving subterraneous springs and currents by sensation; Ð so called from one Bleton, of France. Blet¶ting (?), n. A form of decay seen in fleshy, overripe fruit. Lindley. Blew (?), imp. of Blow. Bleyme (?), n. [F. bleime.] (Far.) An inflammation in the foot of a horse, between the sole and the bone. [Obs.] Bleyn¶te (?), imp. of Blench. [Obs.] Chaucer. Blick¶ey (?), n. [D. blik tin.] A tin dinner pail. [Local, U. S.] Bartlett. Blight (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Blighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Blighting.] [Perh. contr. from AS. blÆcettan to glitter, fr. the same root as E. bleak. The meaning ½to blight¸ comes in that case from to glitter, hence, to be white or pale, grow pale, make pale, bleach. Cf. Bleach, Bleak.] 1. To affect with blight; to blast; to prevent the growth and fertility of. [This vapor] blasts vegetables, blights corn and fruit, and is sometimes injurious even to man. Woodward. 2. Hence: To destroy the happiness of; to ruin; to mar essentially; to frustrate; as, to blight one's prospects. Seared in heart and lone and blighted. Byron. Blight, v. i. To be affected by blight; to blast; as, this vine never blights. Blight, n. 1. Mildew; decay; anything nipping or blasting; Ð applied as a general name to various injuries or diseases of plants, causing the whole or a part to wither, whether occasioned by insects, fungi, or atmospheric influences. 2. The act of blighting, or the state of being blighted; a withering or mildewing, or a stoppage of growth in the whole or a part of a plant, etc. 3. That which frustrates one's plans or withers one's hopes; that which impairs or destroys. A blight seemed to have fallen over our fortunes. Disraeli. 4. (Zo”l.) A downy species of aphis, or plant louse, destructive to fruit trees, infesting both the roots and branches; Ð also applied to several other injurious insects. 5. pl. A rashlike eruption on the human skin. [U. S.] Blight¶ing, a. Causing blight. Blight¶ingÏly, adv. So as to cause blight. Blim¶bi (?), Blim¶bing (?), n. See Bilimbi, etc. Blin (?), v. t. & i. [OE. blinnen, AS. blinnan; pref. beÏ + linnan to cease.] To stop; to cease; to desist. [Obs.] Spenser. Blin, n. [AS. blinn.] Cessation; end. [Obs.] Blind (?), a. [AS.; akin to D., G., OS., Sw., & Dan. blind, Icel. blindr, Goth. blinds; of uncertain origin.] 1. Destitute of the sense of seeing, either by natural defect or by deprivation; without sight. He that is strucken blind can not forget The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. Shak. 2. Not having the faculty of discernment; destitute of intellectual light; unable or unwilling to understand or judge; as, authors are blind to their own defects. But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, That they may stumble on, and deeper fall. Milton. 3. Undiscerning; undiscriminating; inconsiderate. This plan is recommended neither to blind approbation nor to blind reprobation. Jay. 4. Having such a state or condition as a thing would have to a person who is blind; not well marked or easily discernible; hidden; unseen; concealed; as, a blind path; a blind ditch. 5. Involved; intricate; not easily followed or traced. The blind mazes of this tangled wood. Milton. 6. Having no openings for light or passage; as, a blind wall; open only at one end; as, a blind alley; a blind gut. 7. Unintelligible, or not easily intelligible; as, a blind passage in a book; illegible; as, blind writing. 8. (Hort.) Abortive; failing to produce flowers or fruit; as, blind buds; blind flowers. Blind alley, an alley closed at one end; a culÏdeÏsac. Ð Blind axle, an axle which turns but does not communicate motion. Knight. Ð Blind beetle, one of the insects apt to fly against people, esp. at night. Ð Blind cat (Zo”l.), a species of catfish (Gronias nigrolabris), nearly destitute of eyes, living in caverns in Pennsylvania. Ð Blind coal, coal that burns without flame; anthracite coal. Simmonds. Ð Blind door, Blind window, an imitation of a door or window, without an opening for passage or light. See Blank door or window, under Blank, a. Ð Blind level (Mining), a level or drainage gallery which has a vertical shaft at each end, and acts as an inverted siphon. Knight. Ð Blind nettle (Bot.), dead nettle. See Dead nettle, under Dead. Ð Blind shell (Gunnery), a shell containing no charge, or one that does not explode. Ð Blind side, the side which is most easily assailed; a weak or unguarded side; the side on which one is least able or disposed to see danger. Swift. Ð Blind snake (Zo”l.), a small, harmless, burrowing snake, of the family Typhlopid‘, with rudimentary eyes. Ð Blind spot (Anat.), the point in the retina of the eye where the optic nerve enters, and which is insensible to light. Ð Blind tooling, in bookbinding and leather work, the indented impression of heated tools, without gilding; Ð called also blank tooling, and blind blocking. Ð Blind wall, a wall without an opening; a blank wall. Blind (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Blinded; p. pr. & vb. n. Blinding.] 1. To make blind; to deprive of sight or discernment. ½To blind the truth and me.¸ Tennyson. A blind guide is certainly a great mischief; but a guide that blinds those whom he should lead is ... a much greater. South. 2. To deprive partially of vision; to make vision difficult for and painful to; to dazzle. Her beauty all the rest did blind. P. Fletcher. 3. To darken; to obscure to the eye or understanding; to conceal; to deceive. Such darkness blinds the sky. Dryden. The state of the controversy between us he endeavored, with all his art, to blind and confound. Stillingfleet. 4. To cover with a thin coating of sand and fine gravel; as a road newly paved, in order that the joints between the stones may be filled. Blind (?), n. 1. Something to hinder sight or keep out light; a screen; a cover; esp. a hinged screen or shutter for a window; a blinder for a horse. 2. Something to mislead the eye or the understanding, or to conceal some covert deed or design; a subterfuge. 3. [Cf. F. blindes, p?., fr. G. blende, fr. blenden to blind, fr. blind blind.] (Mil.) A blindage. See Blindage. 4. A halting place. [Obs.] Dryden. Blind, Blinde (?), n. See Blende. Blind¶age (?), n. [Cf. F. blindage.] (Mil.) A cover or protection for an advanced trench or approach, formed of fascines and earth supported by a framework. Blind¶er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, blinds. 2. (Saddlery) One of the leather screens on a bridle, to hinder a horse from seeing objects at the side; a blinker. Blind¶fish· (?), n. A small fish (Amblyopsis spel‘us) destitute of eyes, found in the waters of the Mammoth Cave, in Kentucky. Related fishes from other caves take the same name. Blind¶fold· (?), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Blindfolded; p. pr. & vb. n. Blindfolding.] [OE. blindfolden, blindfelden, blindfellen; AS. blind blind + prob. fellan, fyllan, to fell, strike down.] To cover the eyes of, as with a bandage; to hinder from seeing. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face. Luke xxii. 64. Blind¶fold·, a. Having the eyes covered; blinded; having the mental eye darkened. Hence: Heedless; reckless; as, blindfold zeal; blindfold fury. Fate's blindfold reign the atheist loudly owns. Dryden. Blind¶ing, a. Making blind or as if blind; depriving of sight or of understanding; obscuring; as, blinding tears; blinding snow. Blind¶ing, n. A thin coating of sand and fine gravel over a newly paved road. See Blind, v. t., 4. Blind¶ly, adv. Without sight, discernment, or understanding; without thought, investigation, knowledge, or purpose of one's own. By his imperious mistress blindly led. Dryden. Blind¶man's buff¶ (?). [See Buff a buffet.] A play in which one person is blindfolded, and tries to catch some one of the company and tell who it is. Surely he fancies I play at blindman's buff with him, for he thinks I never have my eyes open. Stillingfleet. Blind·man's hol¶iÏday (?). The time between daylight and candle light. [Humorous] Blind¶ness (?), n. State or condition of being blind, literally or figuratively. Darwin. Color blindness, inability to distinguish certain color. See Daltonism. Blind¶sto·ry (?), n. (Arch.) The triforium as opposed to the clearstory. Blind¶worm· (?), n. (Zo”l.) A small, burrowing, snakelike, limbless lizard (Anguis fragilis), with minute eyes, popularly believed to be blind; the slowworm; Ð formerly a name for the adder. Newts and blindworms do no wrong. Shak. Blink (?), v. i. [imp. & p.p. Blinked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Blinking.] [OE. blenken; akin to dan. blinke, Sw. blinka, G. blinken to shine, glance, wink, twinkle, D. blinken to shine; and prob. to D. blikken to glance, twinkle, G. blicken to look, glance, AS. blÆcan to shine, E. bleak. ?98. See Bleak; cf. 1st Blench.] 1. To wink; to twinkle with, or as with, the eye. One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame. Pope 2. To see with the eyes half shut, or indistinctly and with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes. Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne. Shak. 3. To shine, esp. with intermittent light; to twinkle; to flicker; to glimmer, as a lamp. The dew was falling fast, the stars began to blink. Wordsworth. The sun blinked fair on pool and stream . Sir W. Scott. 4. To turn slightly sour, as beer, mild, etc. Blink, v. t. 1. To shut out of sight; to avoid, or purposely evade; to shirk; as, to blink the question. 2. To trick; to deceive. [Scot.] Jamieson. Blink, n. [OE. blink. See Blink, v. i. ] 1. A glimpse or glance. This is the first blink that ever I had of him. Bp. Hall. 2. Gleam; glimmer; sparkle. Sir W. Scott. Not a blink of light was there. Wordsworth. 3. (Naut.) The dazzling whiteness about the horizon caused by the reflection of light from fields of ice at sea; ice blink. 4. pl. [Cf. Blencher.] (Sporting) Boughs cast where deer are to pass, to turn or check them. [Prov. Eng.] Blink¶ard (?), n. [Blind + Ïard.] 1. One who blinks with, or as with, weak eyes. Among the blind the oneÏeyed blinkard reigns. Marvell. 2. That which twinkles or glances, as a dim star, which appears and disappears. Hakewill. Blink¶ beer· (?). Beer kept unbroached until it is sharp. Crabb. Blink¶er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, blinks. 2. A blinder for horses; a flap of leather on a horse's bridle to prevent him from seeing objects as his side hence, whatever obstructs sight or discernment. Nor bigots who but one way see, through blinkers of authority. M. Green. 3. pl. A kind of goggles, used to protect the eyes form glare, etc. Blink¶Ðeyed· (?), a. Habitually winking. Marlowe. Blirt (?), n. (Naut.) A gust of wind and rain. Ham. Nav. Encyc. Bliss , n.; pl. Blisses (?). [OE. blis, blisse, AS. blis, blÆ?s, fr. blÆ?e blithe. See Blithe.] Orig., blithesomeness; gladness; now, the highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity; heavenly joy. An then at last our bliss Full and perfect is. Milton. Syn. Ð Blessedness; felicity; beatitude; happiness; joy; enjoyment. See Happiness. Bliss¶ful (?), a. Full of, characterized by, or causing, joy and felicity; happy in the highest degree. ½Blissful solitude.¸ Milton. Ð Bliss¶fulÏly, adv. Ð Bliss¶fulÏness, n. Bliss¶less, a. Destitute of bliss. Sir P. Sidney. Blis¶som (?), v. i. [For blithesome: but cf. also Icel. bl?sma of a goat at heat.] To be lustful; to be lascivious. [Obs.] Blis¶som, a. Lascivious; also, in heat; Ð said of ewes. Blis¶ter (?), n. [OE.; akin to OD. bluyster, fr. the same root as blast, bladder, blow. See Blow to eject wind.] 1. A vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle. And painful blisters swelled my tender hands. Grainger. 2. Any elevation made by the separation of the film or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel. 3. A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or other matter, applied to raise a blister. Dunglison. Blister beetle, a beetle used to raise blisters, esp. the Lytta (or Cantharis) vesicatoria, called Cantharis or Spanish fly by druggists. See Cantharis. Ð Blister fly, a blister beetle. Ð Blister plaster, a plaster designed to raise a blister; Ð usually made of Spanish flies. Ð Blister steel, crude steel formed from wrought iron by cementation; Ð so called because of its blistered surface. Called also blistered steel. Ð Blood blister. See under Blood. Blis¶ter, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Blistered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Blistering.] To be affected with a blister or blisters; to have a blister form on. Let my tongue blister. Shak. Blis¶ter, v. t. 1. To raise a blister or blisters upon. My hands were blistered. Franklin. 2. To give pain to, or to injure, as if by a blister. This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongue. Shak. Blis¶terÏy (?), a. Full of blisters. Hooker. Blite (?), n. [L. blitum, Gr. ?.] (Bot.) A

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