Middle English Dictionary Entry

blenchen v.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms blenchen v. Also blinchen & blenken, blinken. P. blenchede, -te, blinchede; blenkede, -te, blinkede; bleinte, blente.
Etymology OE blencan deceive (rare) & ON; cp. OI blekkja delude (rare). MnE has both blench & blink.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. blenken v.
1.
(a) To move suddenly or sharply; jerk, twist; flinch, wince, dodge; ~ aside; ~ low, duck; ~ broues, raise (one's) eyebrows or eyelids; ~ of slepe, wake up suddenly; (b) of a horse: to start or shy; of a boat: lurch or heel over.
Show 18 Quotations
2.
(a) To change one's course, turn (in a certain direction); turn around, retreat; ~ aȝain; ~ hom, return to one's home; of light: be deflected; (b) to turn the eyes (in a certain direction); ~ eie; look (at or away from sth.); ~ beside, look aside; of the eyes: gaze.
Show 17 Quotations
3.
(a) To avoid, evade, abstain; elude, escape; ~ from; (b) to deviate, stray (from prescribed practices).
Show 15 Quotations
4.
(a) To mislead (sb.), lead astray, deceive; ~ sight, delude; (b) to foil (an enemy, an attack).
Show 6 Quotations
5.
Of a person, one's complexion: to turn pale.
Show 1 Quotation

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The quots. which were in sense 5.(a) have been moved to blenken v., as have all but one of the quots. which were in sense 5.(b).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section (taking into account the quots. which have been moved): Also blenche, blinche, blenk(e(n, blinke(n; p. blenched, etc. & blente, bleint(e, blencte, bleincte, blincked, (error) blemesshyd; ppl. blenched, etc. & ibleint.--notes per MLL

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