Blemish v.

Forms: 4 blemyss, -iss, -ess, -ysch, -ysh, 4–5 blensch, blench, 5 blemissh, -esh, -ysch, 5–6 blemyssh(e, 6– blemish. Pa. t. and pple. blemished, in 4 blemest(e, -yst, 5 blemschyd, 6– blemisht. [a. OF. blemiss-, extended stem of blemir (also blesmir, blaismir, in Pr. blasmar, blesmar) to render livid or pale, f. blaisme, blesme, blême ‘livid, pale,’ of uncertain origin: see Diez, Littré. The syncopated forms blemschyd, blensch, caused partial confusion with BLENCH: see senses 2, 5.]

  † 1.  To hurt, damage, do physical damage or injury to, deface. Obs.

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 1421. Wine … Breyþed vppe in to his brayn & blemyst his mynde.

c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 2471. Bihuld aboute on his bodi ȝif it blenched were.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 2578. He þet es blemeste with þis brade brande.

1494.  Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxiii. 249. Such holdes and castellys, as the Scottis by theyr warrys had blemysshed and apayred. Ibid., VII. 386. The towne of Boston was greatly blemysshed with fyre.

1571.  Digges, Pantom., I. xxxv. L iij. Blemishing all the … lines … drawen with black lead or such like, that you maye easely put oute or rase awaye.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 129. He cut off his tail … being demanded why he so blemished his beast, [etc.].

  † 2.  To dim or darken (the eye-sight). Obs.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 39. Blenschyn [1499 blemysshen], obfusco.

1496.  Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), IV. x. 173. They blemysshe theyr eye in lokynge ayenst the sonne.

1526.  Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 297. My corporal eye … shall be blemysshed or derked by the reason of the lyght.

? 1677.  Lover’s Quar., 82. The salt tears blemished his eye.

  3.  To mar, spoil or injure the working of.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (1840), 14. Pité blemeshithe the swerd of rightewisnes.

a. 1555.  Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 261. Ye do blemish the annunciation of the Lords death till he come.

1625.  Sir H. Finch, Law (1636), 338. That the people be not … troubled … nor the peace blemished.

1635.  Wentworth, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., II. 276, III. 282. To overthrowe or at least to blemishe the proceedings.

1856.  Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. iii. 253. An expedient, which though blemished in the execution, was itself reasonable and prudent.

  † b.  To disconcert, put out. Cf. BLENCH v.¹ 5.

1544.  Bale, Chron. Sir J. Oldcastell, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), I. 264. At this, the archbishopp and hys companye were not a lytle blemyshed.

  4.  To impair or mar the beauty, soundness or perfection of; to damage.

c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., 223. Alle blemyshed is thi ble.

1530.  Palsgr., 457/1. I blemysshe, I hynder or hurte the beautye of a person.

1594.  Shaks., Rich. III., I. ii. 128. These eyes could not endure y^t beauties wrack, You should not blemish it, if I stood by.

c. 1746.  Hervey, Medit. & Contempl., I. 183. Without blemishing their Beauty, or altering their Nature.

  b.  To impair morally or ideally; to sully, stain, spoil.

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 178. Coveitise of wickede preestis blemyshiþ hem.

1593.  Hooker, Eccl. Pol., Pref. i. § 3. Let not the faith … be blemished with partialities.

1648.  Boyle, Seraph. Love (1700), 2. That the extraction of your freedom may no ways blemish it.

1735.  Oldys, Life Ralegh, Wks. 1829, I. 270. There had nothing passed between us that might blemish reputation.

1866.  Howells, Venet. Life (1883), II. xx. 163. The admixture of ruffianism which blemishes most loafers.

  c.  To cast a slur upon, asperse, defame, discredit, disable. Obs. exc. in Law.

1414.  Brampton, Penit. Ps., xlvii. 18. Ne with here tungys blemysch my name.

1593.  Bilson, Govt. Christ’s Ch., 394. To blemish and reproch so many.

1649.  Mrs. Hutchinson, Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1846), 341. Blemish not a man that is innocent.

1699.  Dryden, To J. Driden, 31. Not that my verse would blemish all the fair.

a. 1715.  Burnet, Own Time, II. 331. Anything that would … blemish the management of the treasury.

1768.  Blackstone, Comm., II. 291. Whether a man should be permitted to blemish himself, by pleading his own insanity.

  † 5.  intr. To turn pale, change color, blench. (Cf. mod.F. blêmir.) Obs. rare. Cf. BLENCH v.²

1530.  Palsgr., 457/1. I blemysshe, I chaunge colour … Sawe you nat howe he blemysshed at it.

  6.  A hunting term: see quot. and cf. BLEMISH sb. 4.

1575.  Turberv., Venerie, 104. Blemishing against or over the slot or viewe of the deare.

1792.  Osbaldiston, Brit. Sportsm., Blemish, a hunting term, used when the hounds or beagles, finding where the chase has been, make a proffer to enter but return.