Blaze Blaze (blāz) noun [ Middle English blase , Anglo-Saxon blæse , blase ; akin to Old High German blass whitish, German blass pale, Middle High German blas torch, Icelandic blys torch; perhaps from the same root as English blast . Confer Blast , Blush , Blink .] 1. A stream of gas or vapor emitting light and heat in the process of combustion; a bright flame. "To heaven the blaze uprolled." Croly.

2. Intense, direct light accompanied with heat; as, to seek shelter from the blaze of the sun.

O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon!
Milton.

3. A bursting out, or active display of any quality; an outburst; a brilliant display. "Fierce blaze of riot." "His blaze of wrath." Shak.

For what is glory but the blaze of fame?
Milton.

4. [ Confer Dutch bles ; akin to English blaze light.] A white spot on the forehead of a horse.

5. A spot made on trees by chipping off a piece of the bark, usually as a surveyor's mark.

Three blazes in a perpendicular line on the same tree indicating a legislative road, the single blaze a settlement or neighborhood road.
Carlton.

In a blaze , on fire; burning with a flame; filled with, giving, or reflecting light; excited or exasperated. -- Like blazes , furiously; rapidly. [ Low] "The horses did along like blazes tear." Poem in Essex dialect.

» In low language in the U. S., blazes is frequently used of something extreme or excessive, especially of something very bad; as, blue as blazes . Neal.

Syn. -- Blaze , Flame . A blaze and a flame are both produced by burning gas. In blaze the idea of light rapidly evolved is prominent, with or without heat; as, the blaze of the sun or of a meteor. Flame includes a stronger notion of heat; as, he perished in the flames .

Blaze Blaze intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Blazed ; present participle & verbal noun Blazing .] 1. To shine with flame; to glow with flame; as, the fire blazes .

2. To send forth or reflect glowing or brilliant light; to show a blaze.

And far and wide the icy summit blazed .
Wordsworth.

3. To be resplendent. Macaulay.

To blaze away , to discharge a firearm, or to continue firing; -- said esp. of a number of persons, as a line of soldiers. Also used (fig.) of speech or action. [ Colloq.]

Blaze Blaze transitive verb 1. To mark (a tree) by chipping off a piece of the bark.

I found my way by the blazed trees.
Hoffman.

2. To designate by blazing; to mark out, as by blazed trees; as, to blaze a line or path.

Champollion died in 1832, having done little more than blaze out the road to be traveled by others.
Nott.

Blaze Blaze transitive verb [ Middle English blasen to blow; perhaps confused with blast and blaze a flame, Middle English blase . Confer Blaze , intransitive verb , and see Blast .] 1. To make public far and wide; to make known; to render conspicuous.

On charitable lists he blazed his name.
Pollok.

To blaze those virtues which the good would hide.
Pope.

2. (Her.) To blazon. [ Obsolete] Peacham.

Blazer Blaz"er noun One who spreads reports or blazes matters abroad. " Blazers of crime." Spenser.

Blazer Blaz"er noun 1. Anything that blazes or glows, as with heat or flame.

2. A light jacket, usually of wool or silk and of a bright color, for wear at tennis, cricket, or other sport.

3. The dish used when cooking directly over the flame of a chafing-dish lamp, or the coals of a brasier.

Blazing Blaz"ing adjective Burning with a blaze; as, a blazing fire; blazing torches. Sir W. Scott.

Blazing star . (a) A comet. [ Obsolete] (b) A brilliant center of attraction. (c) (Botany) A name given to several plants; as, to Chamælirium luteum of the Lily family; Liatris squarrosa ; and Aletris farinosa , called also colicroot and star grass .

Blazon Bla"zon noun [ Middle English blason , blasoun , shield, from French blason coat of arms, Old French shield, from the root of Anglo-Saxon blæse blaze, i. e. , luster, splendor, Middle High German blas torch See Blaze , noun ] 1. A shield. [ Obsolete]

2. An heraldic shield; a coat of arms, or a bearing on a coat of arms; armorial bearings.

Their blazon o'er his towers displayed.
Sir W. Scott.

3. The art or act of describing or depicting heraldic bearings in the proper language or manner. Peacham.

4. Ostentatious display, either by words or other means; publication; show; description; record.

Obtrude the blazon of their exploits upon the company.
Collier.

Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions, and spirit,
Do give thee fivefold blazon .
Shak.

Blazon Bla"zon transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Blazoned ; present participle & verbal noun Blazoning ] [ From blazon , noun ; confused with 4th blaze : confer French blasonner .] 1. To depict in colors; to display; to exhibit conspicuously; to publish or make public far and wide.

Thyself thou blazon'st .
Shak.

There pride sits blazoned on th' unmeaning brow.
Trumbull.

To blazon his own worthless name.
Cowper.

2. To deck; to embellish; to adorn.

She blazons in dread smiles her hideous form.
Garth.

3. (Her.) To describe in proper terms (the figures of heraldic devices); also, to delineate (armorial bearings); to emblazon.

The coat of , arms, which I am not herald enough to blazon into English.
Addison.

Blazon Bla"zon intransitive verb To shine; to be conspicuous. [ R.]

Blazoner Bla"zon·er noun One who gives publicity, proclaims, or blazons; esp., one who blazons coats of arms; a herald. Burke.

Blazonment Bla"zon·ment (blā"z'n*m e nt) noun The act of blazoning; blazoning; emblazonment.

Blazonry Bla"zon·ry noun 1. Same as Blazon , 3.

The principles of blazonry .
Peacham.

2. A coat of arms; an armorial bearing or bearings.

The blazonry of Argyle.
Lord Dufferin.

3. Artistic representation or display.

Blea Blea noun The part of a tree which lies immediately under the bark; the alburnum or sapwood.

Bleaberry Blea"ber·ry noun (Botany) See Blaeberry .

Bleach Bleach transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bleached ; present participle & verbal noun Bleaching .] [ Middle English blakien , blechen , transitive verb & intransitive verb , Anglo-Saxon blā cian , bl...can , to grow pale; akin to Icelandic bleikja , Swedish bleka , Danish blege , Dutch bleeken , German bleichen , Anglo-Saxon blāc pale. See Bleak , adjective ] To make white, or whiter; to remove the color, or stains, from; to blanch; to whiten.

The destruction of the coloring matters attached to the bodies to be bleached is effected either by the action of the air and light, of chlorine, or of sulphurous acid.
Ure.

Immortal liberty, whose look sublime
Hath bleached the tyrant's cheek in every varying clime.
Smollett.

Bleach Bleach intransitive verb To grow white or lose color; to whiten.

Bleached Bleached adjective Whitened; make white.

Let their bleached bones, and blood's unbleaching stain,
Long mark the battlefield with hideous awe.
Byron.

Bleacher Bleach"er noun One who whitens, or whose occupation is to whiten, by bleaching.

Bleachery Bleach"er·y noun ; plural Bleacheries A place or an establishment where bleaching is done.

Bleaching Bleach"ing noun The act or process of whitening, by removing color or stains; esp. the process of whitening fabrics by chemical agents. Ure.

Bleaching powder , a powder for bleaching, consisting of chloride of lime, or some other chemical or chemicals.

Bleak Bleak adjective [ Middle English blac , bleyke , bleche , Anglo-Saxon blāc , bl...c , pale, wan; akin to Icelandic bleikr , Swedish blek , Danish bleg , Old Saxon bl...k , Dutch bleek , Old High German pleih , G. bleich ; all from the root of Anglo-Saxon blīcan to shine; akin to Old High German blīchen to shine; confer Latin flagrare to burn, Greek ... to burn, shine, Sanskrit bhrāj to shine, and English flame . ...98. Confer Bleach , Blink , Flame .] 1. Without color; pale; pallid. [ Obsolete]

When she came out she looked as pale and as bleak as one that were laid out dead.
Foxe.

2. Desolate and exposed; swept by cold winds.

Wastes too bleak to rear
The common growth of earth, the foodful ear.
Wordsworth.

At daybreak, on the bleak sea beach.
Longfellow.

3. Cold and cutting; cheerless; as, a bleak blast.

-- Bleak"ish , adjective -- Bleak"ly , adverb -- Bleak"ness , noun

Bleak Bleak noun [ From Bleak , adjective , confer Blay .] (Zoology) A small European river fish ( Leuciscus alburnus ), of the family Cyprinidæ; the blay. [ Written also blick .]

» The silvery pigment lining the scales of the bleak is used in the manufacture of artificial pearls. Baird.

Bleaky Bleak"y adjective Bleak. [ Obsolete] Dryden.

Blear Blear adjective [ See Blear , v. ] 1. Dim or sore with water or rheum; -- said of the eyes.

His blear eyes ran in gutters to his chin.
Dryden.

2. Causing or caused by dimness of sight; dim.

Power to cheat the eye with blear illusion.
Milton.

Blear Blear transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bleared ; present participle & verbal noun Blearing .] [ Middle English bleren ; confer Danish plire to blink, Swedish plira to twinkle, wink, LG. plieren ; perhaps from the same root as English blink . See Blink , and confer Blur .] To make somewhat sore or watery, as the eyes; to dim, or blur, as the sight. Figuratively: To obscure (mental or moral perception); to blind; to hoodwink.

That tickling rheums
Should ever tease the lungs and blear the sight.
Cowper.

To blear the eye of , to deceive; to impose upon. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.

Blear-eyed Blear"-eyed` adjective 1. Having sore eyes; having the eyes dim with rheum; dim- sighted.

The blear-eyed Crispin.
Drant.

2. Lacking in perception or penetration; short- sighted; as, a blear-eyed bigot.

Bleared Bleared adjective Dimmed, as by a watery humor; affected with rheum. -- Blear"ed*ness noun

Dardanian wives,
With bleared visages, come forth to view
The issue of the exploit.
Shak.

Bleareye Blear"eye` noun (Medicine) A disease of the eyelids, consisting in chronic inflammation of the margins, with a gummy secretion of sebaceous matter. Dunglison.

Bleareyedness Blear"eyed`ness noun The state of being blear-eyed.

Bleary Blear"y adjective Somewhat blear.

Bleat Bleat intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bleated ; present participle & verbal noun Bleating .] [ Middle English bleten , Anglo-Saxon bl...tan ; akin to Dutch blaten , bleeten , Old High German blāzan , plāzan ; probably of imitative origin.] To make the noise of, or one like that of, a sheep; to cry like a sheep or calf.

Then suddenly was heard along the main,
To low the ox, to bleat the woolly train.
Pope

The ewe that will not hear her lamb when it baas, will never answer a calf when he bleats .
Shak.

Bleat Bleat noun A plaintive cry of, or like that of, a sheep.

The bleat of fleecy sheep.
Chapman's Homer.

Bleater Bleat"er noun One who bleats; a sheep.

In cold, stiff soils the bleaters oft complain
Of gouty ails.
Dyer.

Bleating Bleat"ing adjective Crying as a sheep does.

Then came the shepherd back with his bleating flocks from the seaside.
Longfellow.

Bleating Bleat"ing noun The cry of, or as of, a sheep. Chapman.

Bleb Bleb noun [ Prov. English bleb , bleib , blob , bubble, blister. This word belongs to the root of blub , blubber , blabber , and perhaps blow to puff.] A large vesicle or bulla, usually containing a serous fluid; a blister; a bubble, as in water, glass, etc.

Arsenic abounds with air blebs .
Kirwan.

Blebby Bleb"by adjective Containing blebs, or characterized by blebs; as, blebby glass.

Bleck, Blek Bleck, Blek transitive verb To blacken; also, to defile. [ Obsolete or Dial.] Wyclif.

Bled Bled imperfect & past participle of Bleed .

Blee Blee noun [ Anglo-Saxon bleó , bleóh .] Complexion; color; hue; likeness; form. [ Archaic]

For him which is so bright of blee .
Lament. of Mary Magd.

That boy has a strong blee of his father.
Forby.

Bleed Bleed intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Bled ; present participle & verbal noun Bleeding .] [ Middle English bleden , Anglo-Saxon bl...dan , from bl...d blood; akin to Swedish blöda , Danish blöde , Dutch bloeden , German bluten . See Blood .] 1. To emit blood; to lose blood; to run with blood, by whatever means; as, the arm bleeds ; the wound bled freely; to bleed at the nose.

2. To withdraw blood from the body; to let blood; as, Dr. A. bleeds in fevers.

3. To lose or shed one's blood, as in case of a violent death or severe wounds; to die by violence. "Cæsar must bleed ." Shak.

The lamb thy riot dooms to bleed to-day.
Pope.

4. To issue forth, or drop, as blood from an incision.

For me the balm shall bleed .
Pope.

5. To lose sap, gum, or juice; as, a tree or a vine bleeds when tapped or wounded.

6. To pay or lose money; to have money drawn or extorted; as, to bleed freely for a cause. [ Colloq.]

To make the heart bleed , to cause extreme pain, as from sympathy or pity.

Bleed Bleed transitive verb 1. To let blood from; to take or draw blood from, as by opening a vein.

2. To lose, as blood; to emit or let drop, as sap.

A decaying pine of stately size, bleeding amber.
H. Miller.

3. To draw money from (one); to induce to pay; as, they bled him freely for this fund. [ Colloq.]

Bleeder Bleed"er noun (Medicine) (a) One who, or that which, draws blood. (b) One in whom slight wounds give rise to profuse or uncontrollable bleeding.

Bleeding Bleed"ing adjective Emitting, or appearing to emit, blood or sap, etc.; also, expressing anguish or compassion.

Bleeding Bleed"ing noun A running or issuing of blood, as from the nose or a wound; a hemorrhage; the operation of letting blood, as in surgery; a drawing or running of sap from a tree or plant.

Blemish Blem"ish transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Blemished ; present participle & verbal noun Blemishing .] [ Middle English blemissen , blemishen , Old French blemir , blesmir , to strike, injure, soil, French blêmir to grow pale, from Old French bleme , blesme , pale, wan, French blême , probably from Icel blāman the livid color of a wound, from blār blue; akin to English blue . Old French blemir properly signifies to beat one (black and) blue, and to render blue or dirty. See Blue .] 1. To mark with deformity; to injure or impair, as anything which is well formed, or excellent; to mar, or make defective, either the body or mind.

Sin is a soil which blemisheth the beauty of thy soul.
Brathwait.

2. To tarnish, as reputation or character; to defame.

There had nothing passed between us that might blemish reputation.
Oldys.

Blemish Blem"ish noun ; plural Blemishes Any mark of deformity or injury, whether physical or moral; anything that diminishes beauty, or renders imperfect that which is otherwise well formed; that which impairs reputation.

He shall take two he lambs without blemish , and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish.
Lev. xiv. 10.

The reliefs of an envious man are those little blemishes and imperfections that discover themselves in an illustrious character.
Spectator.

Syn. -- Spot; speck; flaw; deformity; stain; defect; fault; taint; reproach; dishonor; imputation; disgrace.

Blemishless Blem"ish·less adjective Without blemish; spotless.

A life in all so blemishless .
Feltham.

Blemishment Blem"ish·ment noun The state of being blemished; blemish; disgrace; damage; impairment.

For dread of blame and honor's blemishment .
Spenser.

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