blench definition |Dictionary.com

Synonyms of blench

blanch cringe, quail, recoil, shrink, shy, start, wince,

Blench

12 dictionary results for: blench

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

blench1

[blench] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used without object)

to shrink; flinch; quail: an unsteady eye that blenched under another's gaze.

[Origin: bef. 1000; ME blenchen, OE blencan; c. ON blekkja, MHG blenken

]

—Related forms

blencher, noun

blench·ing·ly, adverb

—Synonyms See wince.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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blench2

[blench] Pronunciation Key

–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)

to make or become pale or white; blanch.

[Origin: 1805–15; var. of blanch¹

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

blanch   (blānch) Pronunciation Key
v.   blanched also blenched, blanch·ing also blench·ing, blanch·es also blench·es

v.   tr.

To take the color from; bleach.
To whiten (a growing plant or plant part) by covering to cut off direct light.
To whiten (a metal) by soaking in acid or by coating with tin.
1. To scald (almonds, for example) in order to loosen the skin.
2. To scald (food) briefly, as before freezing or as a preliminary stage in preparing a dish.
To cause to turn white or become pale.

v. intr.
To turn white or become pale: Their faces blanched in terror.

[Middle English blaunchen, to make white, from Old French blanchir, from blanche, feminine of blanc, white, of Germanic origin; see bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

blanch'er n.

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blench¹ (blěnch) Pronunciation Key
intr.v. blenched, blench·ing, blench·es
To draw back or shy away, as from fear; flinch.

[Middle English blenchen, from Old English blencan, to deceive; see bhel-¹ in Indo-European roots.]

blench'er n.

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blench² (blěnch) Pronunciation Key
v. Variant of blanch.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
blench

O.E. blencan "deceive," from P.Gmc. *blankjanan. Sense of "move suddenly, wince, dodge" is from c.1300.

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

blench
verb
turn pale, as if in fear [syn: pale]

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Blench

Blanch\, v. t. [See Blench.]

1. To avoid, as from fear; to evade; to leave unnoticed. [Obs.]

Ifs and ands to qualify the words of treason, whereby every man might express his malice and blanch his danger. --Bacon.

I suppose you will not blanch Paris in your way. --Reliq. Wot.

2. To cause to turn aside or back; as, to blanch a deer.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

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.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Blench

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.