Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
- 1,538
- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Blind'-măn’s-bŭff', n. p. 141A play in which one person is blindfolded, and hunts out the rest of the company. But surely he fancies I play at blind-man's-buff with him. Stillingfleet.Blind'ness, n. p. 141State or quality of being blind; want of sight; want of discernment; ignorance.Blind'-sīde, n. p. 141The side which is most easily assailed; or the side on which the party is least able or disposed to see danger; weakness; foible; weak part. Swift.Blind'-worm, n. p. 141A small reptile without feet, like a snake. It belongs to the family Scincidæ, and is called also slow-worm. It is a species of Anguis (A. fragilis), and is about a foot long. Its eyes being very…Blink, v. i. p. 141To wink; to twinkle with the eye; to see with the eyes half shut, or with frequent winking, as a person with weak eyes. One eye was blinking, and one leg was lame. Pope. Show me thy chink to blink…Blink, v. t. p. 142To shut out of sight; to avoid, or purposely evade; as, to blink the question.Blink, n. p. 142A glimpse or glance. Not a blink of light was there. Wordsworth. 2. Glimmering or intermittent light. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. 3. (Naut.) The dazzling whiteness about the horizon occasioned by the…Blĭnk'ard, n. p. 142One who blinks, or has bad eyes. Among the blind the one-eyed blinkard reigns. Marvell. 2. That which twinkles or glances, as a dim star, which appears and disappears. Hakewill.Blink'-beer, n. p. 142Beer kept unbroached until it is sharp. Crabb.Blink'er, n. p. 142One who blinks. 2. A blind for horses; an expansion of the bridle to prevent a horse from seeing objects at his sides; hence, whatever checks or obstructs sight or discernment. Nor bigots who but one…Blĭnk'ing, p. a. p. 142Winking, twinkling; glimmering. Who by a blinking lamp consume the night. Cotton.Bliss, n. p. 142The highest degree of happiness; blessedness; exalted felicity; heavenly joy. And then at last our bliss Full and perfect is. Milton. Syn.—Blessedness; felicity, beatitude; happiness; joy; enjoyment.…Bliss'ful, a. p. 142Full of joy and felicity; happy in the highest degree. Ever as these blissful creatures do I fare. Wordsworth.Bliss'ful-ly, adv. p. 142In a blissful manner; happily; joyously.Bliss'ful-ness, n. p. 142Exalted happiness; felicity; fullness of joy. Barrow.Bliss'less, a. p. 142Destitute of bliss. [Obs. or rare.] “My blissless lot.” Sidney.Blĭs'som, v. i. p. 142To be lustful; to be lascivious. [Obs.]Blis'ter, n. p. 142A thin bladder on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory. And painful blisters swelled my tender hands. Grainger. 2. Any tumor…Blis'ter, v. i. p. 142To rise in blisters. “Let my tongue blister.” Shak.Blis'ter, v. t. p. 142To raise blisters upon. “My hands were blistered.” Franklin. 2. To give pain to, as if by a blister. Whose sole name blisters our tongue. Shak.Blis’ter-fly or Blis’ter-bee’tle, n. p. 142The Spanish fly; Cantharis of the druggists; otherwise called Lytta vesicatoria;—used in raising blisters.Blis'ter-plas'ter, n. p. 142A plaster of Spanish flies, designed to raise a blister.Blis'ter-steel or Blis'tered-steel, n. p. 142Steel covered on the surface, in the process of manufacture, with blisters produced by the formation and bursting of vesicles filled with gaseous carbon. Tomlinson.Blis'ter-y, a. p. 142Full of blisters. Hooker.Blîte, n. p. 142(Bot.) A genus of plants, called Blitum; B. capitatum is the strawberry spinach.Blīthe, a. p. 142Gay; merry; joyous; sprightly; mirthful. “The blithe sounds of festal music.” Prescott. A daughter fair, So buxom, blithe, and debonair. Milton.Blīthe'ful, a. p. 142Gay; full of gayety.Blithe'ly, adv. p. 142In a blithe, or gay, joyful manner.Blithe'ness, n. p. 142The quality of being blithe; gayety; sprightliness. Chaucer.Blithe'some, a. p. 142Gay; merry; cheerful. The blithesome sounds of wassail gay. W. Scott.Blithe'some-ness, n. p. 142The quality of being blithesome; gayety.Blōat, v. t. p. 142To make turgid, as with water, air, or other means; to cause a swelling of the surface of, from the effusion of serum in the cellular membrane, producing a morbid enlargement, often accompanied with…Blōat, v. i. p. 142To grow turgid as by effusion of liquid in the cellular membrane; to puff out; to swell. Arbuthnot.Blōat, a. p. 142Bloated. [Obs.] “The bloat king.” Shak.Blōat'ed, p. a. p. 142Swelled; grown turgid; inflated. A bloated mass of rank, unwieldy woe. Goldsmith.Blōat'ed-ness, n. p. 142The state of being bloated; inflation; turgidity. Arbuthnot.Blōat'er or Blōat'-hēr'ring, n. p. 142A herring dried in smoke. See BLOTE. So many bloat-herrings newly taken out. B. Jonson.Blōat'ing, n. p. 142A state of being swelled or bloated; swelling; dilation.Blōb, n. p. 142A blunt end; a small drop or lump of something viscid or thick; a drop; a bubble; a blister. [Wright.Blōb'ber, n. p. 142A bubble. [Low.] Carew.Blŏb'ber-lip, n. p. 142A thick lip. His blobber-lips and beetle-brows commend. Dryden.Blŏb'ber-lĭpped, a. p. 142Having thick lips. “A blobber-lipped shell.” Grew.Blŏck, n. p. 142A solid mass of wood, stone, &c., usually with one or more plane, or approximately plane, faces. “A shapeless block.” Everett. Now all our neighbors’ chimneys smoke, And Christmas blocks are burning.…Blŏck, v. t. p. 142To hinder egress or passage from or into; to stop; to obstruct by placing obstacles in the way; — often followed by up; as, to block up a road or harbor. With moles . . . would block the port. Rowe.…Block-āde', n. p. 142The shutting up of a place by troops or ships, so as to prevent ingress or egress, or the reception of supplies, with a view to compel a surrender from hunger and want, without regular attacks. “To…Block-āde', v. t. p. 142To shut up, as a town or fortress, by troops or ships, so as to compel a surrender from hunger and want; to confine; to shut in. “Blockaded the place by sea.” Gilpin. Till storm and driving ice…Block-ād'er, n. p. 142One who blockades.Block'head, n. p. 142A stupid fellow; a dolt; a person deficient in understanding. The bookful blockhead, ignorantly read. With loads of learned lumber in his head. Pope.Blöck'hēad'ed, a. p. 142Stupid; dull.Blöck'hēad-ism, n. p. 142That which characterizes a blockhead. Reduced to that state of blockheadism which is so conspicuous in his master. Smart.Blöck'hēad-ly, a. p. 142Like a blockhead. “Some blockheadly hero.” Dryden.Blöck'-house, n. p. 142(Mil.) An edifice or structure of heavy timber or logs for military defense, having its sides loop-holed for musketry, and often an upper story projecting over the lower, or placed upon it…Blöck'ing, n. p. 142Blocks used to support any thing temporarily, as a building.Blöck'ing-cōurse, n. p. 142(Arch.) The finishing course of stones or brick erected on the upper part of a cornice. Ogilvie.Blŏck'ish, a. p. 142Like a block; deficient in understanding; stupid; dull. “Blockish Ajax.” Shak.Blŏck'ish-ly, adv. p. 142In a stupid manner. Harmar.Blöck'ish-ness, n. p. 142Stupidity; dullness. Holland.Blŏck'-like, a. p. 142Like a block; stupid.Blŏck'-ma-chine' or Blŏck'-ma-chin'er-y, n. p. 142A machine or machinery for manufacturing blocks for ships, &c. Weale.Blöck'-tīn, n. p. 142Tin, as it comes in blocks or ingots from the foundry. Brande.