Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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. 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 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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.
\Blind\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blinded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blinding}.] 1. To make blind; to deprive of sight or discernment. ``To 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 \Blinde\, n. See {Blende}.