from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Blank \Blank\, a. [OE. blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, fr. F.
blanc, fem. blanche, fr. OHG. blanch shining, bright, white,
G. blank; akin to E. blink, cf. also AS. blanc white. ?98.
See {Blink}, and cf. 1st {Blanch}.]
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1. Of a white or pale color; without color.
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To the blank moon
Her office they prescribed. --Milton.
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2. Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty
space to be filled in with some special writing; -- said
of checks, official documents, etc.; as, blank paper; a
blank check; a blank ballot.
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3. Utterly confounded or discomfited.
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Adam . . . astonied stood, and blank. --Milton.
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4. Empty; void; without result; fruitless; as, a blank space;
a blank day.
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5. Lacking characteristics which give variety; as, a blank
desert; a blank wall; destitute of interests, affections,
hopes, etc.; as, to live a blank existence; destitute of
sensations; as, blank unconsciousness.
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6. Lacking animation and intelligence, or their associated
characteristics, as expression of face, look, etc.;
expressionless; vacant. "Blank and horror-stricken faces."
--C. Kingsley.
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The blank . . . glance of a half returned
consciousness. --G. Eliot.
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7. Absolute; downright; unmixed; as, blank terror.
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{Blank bar} (Law), a plea put in to oblige the plaintiff in
an action of trespass to assign the certain place where
the trespass was committed; -- called also {common bar}.
{Blank cartridge}, a cartridge containing no ball.
{Blank deed}. See {Deed}.
{Blank door}, or {Blank window} (Arch.), a depression in a
wall of the size of a door or window, either for
symmetrical effect, or for the more convenient insertion
of a door or window at a future time, should it be needed.
{Blank indorsement} (Law), an indorsement which omits the
name of the person in whose favor it is made; it is
usually made by simply writing the name of the indorser on
the back of the bill.
{Blank line} (Print.), a vacant space of the breadth of a
line, on a printed page; a line of quadrats.
{Blank tire} (Mech.), a tire without a flange.
{Blank tooling}. See {Blind tooling}, under {Blind}.
{Blank verse}. See under {Verse}.
{Blank wall}, a wall in which there is no opening; a dead
wall.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Blind \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.
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He that is strucken blind can not forget
The precious treasure of his eyesight lost. --Shak.
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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.
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But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more,
That they may stumble on, and deeper fall. --Milton.
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3. Undiscerning; undiscriminating; inconsiderate.
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This plan is recommended neither to blind
approbation nor to blind reprobation. --Jay.
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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.
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5. Involved; intricate; not easily followed or traced.
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The blind mazes of this tangled wood. --Milton.
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6. Having no openings for light or passage; as, a blind wall;
open only at one end; as, a blind alley; a blind gut.
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7. Unintelligible, or not easily intelligible; as, a blind
passage in a book; illegible; as, blind writing.
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8. (Hort.) Abortive; failing to produce flowers or fruit; as,
blind buds; blind flowers.
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{Blind alley}, an alley closed at one end; a cul-de-sac.
{Blind axle}, an axle which turns but does not communicate
motion. --Knight.
{Blind beetle}, one of the insects apt to fly against people,
esp. at night.
{Blind cat} (Zool.), a species of catfish ({Gronias
nigrolabris}), nearly destitute of eyes, living in caverns
in Pennsylvania.
{Blind coal}, coal that burns without flame; anthracite coal.
--Simmonds.
{Blind door}, {Blind window}, an imitation of a door or
window, without an opening for passage or light. See
{Blank door} or {Blank window}, under {Blank}, a.
{Blind level} (Mining), a level or drainage gallery which has
a vertical shaft at each end, and acts as an inverted
siphon. --Knight.
{Blind nettle} (Bot.), dead nettle. See {Dead nettle}, under
{Dead}.
{Blind shell} (Gunnery), a shell containing no charge, or one
that does not explode.
{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.
{Blind snake} (Zool.), a small, harmless, burrowing snake, of
the family {Typhlopid[ae]}, with rudimentary eyes.
{Blind spot} (Anat.), the point in the retina of the eye
where the optic nerve enters, and which is insensible to
light.
{Blind tooling}, in bookbinding and leather work, the
indented impression of heated tools, without gilding; --
called also {blank tooling}, and {blind blocking}.
{Blind wall}, a wall without an opening; a blank wall.
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