Forms: 6 blanck(e, 6–7 blanke, 6– blank. [f. prec. Cf. ONFr. blankir, -quir, F. blanchir, OCat. blanquir to make white.] The senses are mixed up with those of BLANCH v.1 and 2, and BLENCH, BLENK, BLINK.
† 1. trans. To make white, whiten; to make pale.
1483. Caxton, G. de la Tour, liv. A baronnesse … the whiche as men saide blanked and popped or peynted her self.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vi. (1621), 119. His brow Was never blankt with pallid fear.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., IX. li. The coral die is blankt at lips so red.
2. To put out of countenance; to nonplus, disconcert, ‘shut up.’ Cf. BLANK a. 5. arch.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark xii. 28. The Saduceis were put to a foyle and blanked.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, xxix. 464. At this R. Eliezer was blankt and held his peace.
1611. Cotgr., Bejaune … a doult, noddie; one that’s blankt, and hath nought to say, when hee hath most need to speak. Ibid., Confuter vn tesmoing, to disgrace, confound, puzle, blanke him; to put him out of countenance, or, driue him to a Non-plus.
1653. Urquhart, Rabelais (1807), I. 179. If I do not blank and gravel you … and put you to a non plus.
1820. Scott, Abbot, xviii. Which fairly blanked the bold visage of Adam Woodcock.
3. To frustrate, make void, invalidate, bring to nought, disconcert (plans, etc.). arch.
1566. T. Stapleton, Ret. Untr. Jewel, iv. 104. To dasel the Readers eyes withall, or to blancke his euident and most assured Argument.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (1862), 536/1. All former purposes were blancked.
c. 1659. Cleveland, To Ald. Hoyle, 8. And thus … blanks the Reckning with their Host.
1814. Scott, Wav., II. i. Their sports blanked by the untoward accident.
† 4. To turn away. Obs. (Cf. BLANCH v.2 4.)
1640. Yorke, Union Hon., 49. This unexpected aversion … blanckt the Scots.
1659. Gauden, Tears Ch., 139. Nor are people to be blanked or scared from any thing which they list to call their Religion.
5. To render blank or void; to veil from sight.
1763–5. Churchill, Gotham, III. Poems II. 20. When dreary Night … blank’d half the Globe.
1881. Miss Braddon, Asph., III. 331. An obelisk … blanking out earth and heaven with its gigantic form.
b. To indicate by a blank or dash (——).
1789. Bentham, Wks., X. 189. Dele Foxical, I doubt it is hardly safe; or blank it thus F—ical.
¶ c. Blank (often printed —— but read ‘blank’) is also, for decorum’s sake, substituted for a word of execration.
1873. C. Reade, Simpleton, xxiii. Blank him! that is just like him; the uneasy fool!
1878. Mrs. Edwardes, Jet, iii. 272. ‘—— the colonel of the regiment!’ exclaims Mark….
‘Blank the colonel of the regiment!’ With slow unmistakable gusto she lingers over the monosyllable ‘Blank.’
† 6. intr. To be disconcerted; to blench; to shrink back. Obs.
1655. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., xiii. § 2 (1669), 49/1. If thou canst … blank no more than a cold suitor doth, when he hears not from her whom he never really loved.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 423. But these would shed the bloud of such and no whit blanke.
† 7. (?) To blanch = to strip off the skin. Obs.
1515. J. Robson, Scot. Field, in Chetham Misc., II. We blancked them with billes, through all their bright armor.
