Forms: 3 bleri, 4–6 blere, 6 bler (blirre), 6–7 bleer(e, bleare, 6– blear. [The ME. forms point to an OE. *blerian or *blierian intr. in sense 1, f. the adj.; but no such form is known: see BLEAR a. Cf. also BLUR.]

1

  † 1.  intr. To have watery or inflamed eyes, to be blear-eyed. (Said also of an albino.) Obs.

2

a. 1300.  Old Age, in E. E. P. (1862), 149. I stunt i stomere, I stomble . i blind, i bleri.

3

1430.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. x. For she … Unwarely can do blere a mannes eye.

4

1483.  Cath. Angl., 34. To Blere, lippire, lippiscere.

5

a. 1560.  Rolland, Crt. Venus, IV. 667. Quhat may ȝone fell freik be, [that] With the quhite berd and scarlat ene dois bleir?

6

1570.  Levins, Manip., 209. To Bleare, lippire.

7

  b.  with complemental object.

8

1649.  G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., clxxxvii. The new-raised morne (like Eyes ill-wak’t) Blears through the Deaw faint Raies.

9

  2.  trans. To dim (the eyes) with tears, rheum or inflammation; to dim the vision of.

10

1340–1525.  [see BLEARED].

11

1528.  More, Heresyes, III. Wks. 206/2. The brightnesse blered myne eye.

12

1530.  Palsgr., 457/2. His eyes be so bleared with drinkyng that they be as reed as a fyrret.

13

1606.  Sylvester, Du Bartas (1641), 2/2. The Suns bright beams do blear the sight Of such as fix’dly gaze against his light.

14

1728.  T. Sheridan, Persius, iii. (1739), 45. I used to find out Ointments to blear my Eyes.

15

1851.  Longf., Gold. Leg., I. lviii. He … bleared his eyes with books.

16

  b.  To blur (the countenance) as with tears.

17

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 9132. The teris … blaknet with bleryng all hir ble qwite.

18

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. III. I. vii. 170. The Earth smiles not on us, nor the Heaven; but weeps and blears itself, in sour rain.

19

1861.  Temple & Trevor, Tannhäuser, 8. That tremendous Doom … Shatter’d the superstitious dome that blear’d Heaven’s face to man.

20

  3.  (fig.) To blear the eyes: to deceive, blind, ‘hoodwink,’ ‘throw dust in the eyes.’ Very common in 16th c.

21

c. 1325.  Coer de L., 3708. So queyntyly to blere myn eye.

22

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Maunc. T., 148. For al thy waytyng, blered is thin ye.

23

a. 1400.  Octouian, 1387. For to blere the Soudanes ye Queynte lesynges he gan to lye.

24

1537.  T. Cromwell, in Froude, Hist. Eng., III. 229. You have bleared my eyes once. Your credit shall never more serve you so far to deceive me the second time.

25

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., V. i. 120. While counterfeit supposes bleer’d thine eine.

26

1714.  Ellwood, Autobiog., 220. To blear Mens Eyes with Fopperies.

27

1815.  Scott, Guy M., xxxix. ‘I want nane o’ your siller … to make ye think I am blearing your ee.’

28

1860.  Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. iii. 91. Henry III. ‘was seeking to blear the eyes of the world.’

29

  † b.  In the same sense the simple vb. was used.

30

1530.  Palsgr., 457/2. I bleare, I begyle by dissymulacyon.

31

[1570.  Levins, Manip., 142. To blirre, fallere.]

32

1613.  Sir E. Hoby, Counter-sn., 14. Blearing his Reader, that these are but worme-eaten sayings.

33

1642.  T. Taylor, God’s Judgem., I. I. xvii. 54. He was so besotted and bleared with them.

34