Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Blench?

\Blench\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Blenched}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blenching}.] [OE. blenchen to blench, elude, deceive, AS. blencan to deceive; akin to Icel. blekkja to impose upon. Prop. a causative of blink to make to wink, to deceive. See {Blink}, and cf. 3d {Blanch}.] 1. To shrink; to start back; to draw back, from lack of courage or resolution; to flinch; to quail. Blench not at thy chosen lot. --Bryant. This painful, heroic task he undertook, and never blenched from its fulfillment. --Jeffrey. 2. To fly off; to turn aside. [Obs.] Though sometimes you do blench from this to that. --Shak.
\Blench\, v. t. 1. To baffle; to disconcert; to turn away; -- also, to obstruct; to hinder. [Obs.] Ye should have somewhat blenched him therewith, yet he might and would of likelihood have gone further. --Sir T. More. 2. To draw back from; to deny from fear. [Obs.] He now blenched what before he affirmed. --Evelyn.
\Blench\, n. A looking aside or askance. [Obs.] These blenches gave my heart another youth. --Shak.
\Blench\, v. i. & t. [See 1st {Blanch}.] To grow or make pale. --Barbour.