blind

adj., v., n., & adv.
—adj.
1 lacking the power of sight.
2 a without foresight, discernment, intellectual perception, or adequate information (blind effort). b (often foll. by to) unwilling or unable to appreciate (a factor, circumstance, etc.) (blind to argument).
3 not governed by purpose or reason (blind forces).
4 reckless (blind hitting).
5 a concealed (blind ditch). b (of a door, window, etc.) walled up. c closed at one end.
6 Aeron. (of flying) without direct observation, using instruments only.
7 Cookery (of a flan case, pie base, etc.) baked without a filling.
8 sl. drunk.
—v.
1 tr. deprive of sight, permanently or temporarily (blinded by tears).
2 tr. (often foll. by to) rob of judgement; deceive (blinded them to the danger).
3 intr. sl. go very fast and dangerously, esp. in a motor vehicle.
—n.
1 a a screen for a window, esp. on a roller, or with slats (roller blind; Venetian blind). b an awning over a shop window.
2 a something designed or used to hide the truth; a pretext. b a legitimate business concealing a criminal enterprise (he's a spy, and his job is just a blind).
3 any obstruction to sight or light.
4 Brit. sl. a heavy drinking-bout.
5 Cards a stake put up by a poker player before the cards dealt are seen.
6 US = HIDE(1) n.
—adv. blindly (fly blind; bake it blind).
Phrases and idioms:
blind alley
1 a cul-de-sac.
2 a course of action leading nowhere. blind as a bat completely blind. blind coal coal burning without a flame. blind corner a corner round which a motorist etc. cannot see.
blind date
1 a social engagement between a man and a woman who have not previously met.
2 either of the couple on a blind date. blind drunk extremely drunk. blind gut the caecum. blind man's buff a game in which a blindfold player tries to catch others while being pushed about by them. blind side a direction in which one cannot see the approach of danger etc.
blind spot
1 Anat. the point of entry of the optic nerve on the retina, insensitive to light.
2 an area in which a person lacks understanding or impartiality.
3 a point of unusually weak radio reception. blind stamping (or tooling) embossing a book cover without the use of colour or gold leaf. blind-stitch n. sewing visible on one side only.
—v.tr. & intr. sew with this stitch. blind to incapable of appreciating. blind with science overawe with a display of (often spurious) knowledge. go it blind act recklessly or without proper consideration. not a blind bit of (or not a blind) sl. not the slightest; not a single (took not a blind bit of notice; not a blind word out of him). turn a (or one's) blind eye to pretend not to notice.
Derivatives:
blindly adv. blindness n.
Etymology: OE f. Gmc