arch. Forms: 1 blío, blíoh, bléo(h, 1–4 bleo, (3 blo), 3–9 ble, 4–7, 9 blee, (6 bleye). [OE. bléo (bléoh, after féoh) str. neut. = OS. blî, OFris. blî, blie, north.Fris. bläy:—OTeut. *blîjo-(m color, hue. (Not connected with BLAE, BLUE.) A purely poetical word in ME., which gradually became obs. in the course of the 16th or early in the 17th c. (not in Shakespeare); but being frequent in ballads and metrical romances, it has been used by one or two modern poets. Cf. dial. BLY, thought by some to be a survival of ble.]
1. Color, hue. arch.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xv. Ne seolocenra hræʓla mid mistlicum bleowum hi ne ʓimdon.
a. 1000. Metr. Boeth., xxxi. 7. Habbað blioh and fær bu unʓelice.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Numb. xi. 7. Hwites bleos swa cristalla.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 749. A water of loðlic ble.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 76. As blwe as ble of ynde.
1460. Lybeaus Disc., 458. In armes bryght of ble.
1623. Lisle, Ælfric on O. & N. T., Ded. 9. Greene, Red, Yellow, Blew, Of sundry blee; more sad, or light, in graine.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, II. 57. The captain, young Lord Leigh, with his eyes so grey of blee.
2. Color of the face, complexion; visage. arch.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 9. Hire bleo bigon to blakien.
c. 1240. Wohunge, 269. Ȝif hit to þi blisfule bleo mihte beo euenet.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 212. Her ble more blaȝt þen whallez-bon.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxviii. 259. I will no more be abasshed For blenke of thy blee.
a. 1500. (MS. 16th c.) Chester Pl., II. 187. Wher is my bleye that was so brighte?
1557. Tottell’s Misc. (Arb.), 100. Who nothing loues in woman, but her blee.
1615. T. Adams, Spirit. Navig., 42. Of a fresher blee than Daniel.
a. 1700[?]. Lovers’ Quarrel, 2, in Hazl., E. P. P., II. 253. Ladies that been so bright of blee.
1834. Blackw. Mag., XXXV. 715. His daughter bright of blee.
† 3. transf. Appearance, form. Obs.
a. 1000. Salomon & Sat. (1848), 144. Hu moniʓes bleos bið ðæt deofol.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1988. Where that Merlin dede him se In o day in thre ble.
