blind

English Online Dictionary. What means blind‎? What does blind mean?

English

Alternative forms

• blinde (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English blynd, from Old English blind, from Proto-West Germanic *blind, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blaɪnd/
• Rhymes: -aɪnd

Adjective

blind (comparative blinder, superlative blindest)

1. (not comparable) Unable to see, or only partially able to see.

   Synonym: sightless

   Antonyms: seeing, sighted
2. (comparable) Failing to recognize, acknowledge or perceive.
3. (not comparable, of a place) Having little or no visibility.
5. (not comparable) Closed at one end; having a dead end; exitless.
6. (not comparable) Having no openings for light or passage; both dark and exitless.

7. (in certain phrases, chiefly in the negative) Smallest or slightest.

8. (not comparable) Without any prior knowledge.

10. (not comparable) Unconditional; without regard to evidence, logic, reality, accidental mistakes, extenuating circumstances, etc.
    • 1787–1788, John Jay, The Federalist Papers

      This plan is recommended neither to blind approbation nor to blind reprobation.
11. (sciences) Using blinded study design, wherein information is purposely limited to prevent bias.

12. Unintelligible or illegible.

13. (horticulture) Abortive; failing to produce flowers or fruit.

14. (LGBTQ, slang) Uncircumcised.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• invisible (unable to be seen)
• anosmic
• deaf
• print disabled

Noun

blind (plural blinds)

2. A movable covering for a window to keep out light, made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.

   Hyponyms: roller blind, Venetian blind
3. A destination sign mounted on a public transport vehicle displaying the route destination, number, name and/or via points, etc.
4. A place where people can hide in order to observe wildlife.
5. Something to mislead the eye or the understanding, or to conceal some covert deed or design; a subterfuge.
6. (military) A blindage.
7. A hiding place.
8. (rugby, colloquial) The blindside.
9. (baseball, slang, 1800s) No score.
10. (poker) A forced bet: the small blind or the big blind.

11. (poker) A player who is forced to pay such a bet.

Synonyms

• (destination sign): rollsign (mainly US)

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• curtain
• jalousie

Verb

blind (third-person singular simple present blinds, present participle blinding, simple past and past participle blinded)

1. (transitive) To make temporarily or permanently blind.
   • May 9, 1686 (date of preaching), Robert South, The Fatal Imposture and Force of Words (sermon)

     A blind guide is certainly a great mischief; but a guide that blinds those whom he should lead is […] a much greater.

2. (slang, obsolete) To curse.
3. To darken; to obscure to the eye or understanding; to conceal.
4. To cover with a thin coating of sand and fine gravel, for example a road newly paved, in order that the joints between the stones may be filled.

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

blind (comparative more blind, superlative most blind)

1. Without seeing; unseeingly.
2. (colloquial) Absolutely, totally.
3. (poker, three card brag) Without looking at the cards dealt.
4. (cooking, especially in combination with ‘bake’) As a pastry case only, without any filling.

Translations

References

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch blind, from Middle Dutch blint, from Old Dutch *blint, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blənt/

Adjective

blind (attributive blinde, comparative blinder, superlative blindste)

1. blind (unable to see)

Derived terms

• blindheid

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -end

Adjective

blind

1. blind

Inflection

References

• “blind” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪnt/
• Hyphenation: blind
• Rhymes: -ɪnt

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch blint, from Old Dutch *blint, from Proto-West Germanic *blind, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind (comparative blinder, superlative blindst)

1. blind (unable to see)

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: blind
• Berbice Creole Dutch: blende
• Negerhollands: blind, blin, blen
• →? Sranan Tongo: breni, blinde, blinni

Etymology 2

From blinden.

Alternative forms

• blinde f

Noun

blind n (plural blinden, diminutive blindje n)

1. window shutter

   Synonym: luik

German

Etymology

From Middle High German and Old High German blint, from Proto-West Germanic *blind.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪnt/

Adjective

blind (strong nominative masculine singular blinder, comparative blinder, superlative am blindesten)

1. blind

   blind für Realität ― blind to reality

   blind auf einem Auge ― blind in one eye

2. (of a mirror or windowpane) cloudy
   • 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 9:

Declension

Derived terms

• blinder Passagier
• farbenblind
• nachtblind

See also

• blenden

Further reading

• “blind” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “blind” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “blind” in Duden online

German Low German

Etymology

From Middle Low German blint, from Old Saxon blind. Cognate to Dutch blind, German blind.

Adjective

blind (comparative blinner, superlative blinnst)

1. blind

Declension

Icelandic

Adjective

blind

1. inflection of blindur:
   1. feminine singular nominative strong positive degree
   2. neuter plural nominative strong positive degree
   3. neuter plural accusative strong positive degree

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind (neuter singular blindt, definite singular and plural blinde)

1. blind

Derived terms

References

• “blind” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz. Akin to English blind.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪnː/, /blɪnd/

Adjective

blind (neuter blindt, definite singular and plural blinde, comparative blindare, indefinite superlative blindast, definite superlative blindaste)

1. blind

Derived terms

Verb

blind

1. imperative of blinda

References

• “blind” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *blind.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blind/

Adjective

blind (comparative blindra, superlative blindost)

1. blind
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, Lives of Saints

2. (substantive) a blind person

Declension

Derived terms

• blindnes
• blendan
• blindlīċe
• *samblind
• stærblind

Descendants

• Middle English: blynd, blynde, blind, blend, blyn
  • English: blind
  • Scots: blind, blynd
  • Yola: blin

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *blind.

Adjective

blind

1. blind

Declension

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish blinder, from Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪnːd/

Adjective

blind (comparative blindare, superlative blindast)

1. blind; unable or failing to see

Declension

Derived terms

• blindgång
• blindgångare
• blindbock
• blindstyre
• färgblind

See also

• blända
• förblinda
• i blindo

References

• blind in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• blind in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• blind in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)