Blur BLUR, n. [L.luridus.] A dark spot; a stain; a blot, whether upon
paper or other substance, or upon reputation. BLUR, v.t. To
obscure by a dark spot, or by any foul matter, without quite effacing.
1. To sully; to stain; to blemish; as, to blur reputation.
blur
n 1: a hazy or indistinct representation; "it happened so fast
it was just a blur"; "he tried to clear his head of the
whisky fuzz" [syn: blur, fuzz]
v 1: become glassy; lose clear vision; "Her eyes glazed over
from lack of sleep" [syn: film over, glaze over,
blur]
2: to make less distinct or clear; "The haze blurs the hills"
[ant: focus]
3: make unclear, indistinct, or blurred; "Her remarks confused
the debate"; "Their words obnubilate their intentions" [syn:
confuse, blur, obscure, obnubilate]
4: make a smudge on; soil by smudging [syn: smear, blur,
smudge, smutch]
5: make dim or indistinct; "The fog blurs my vision" [syn:
blur, blear] [ant: focalise, focalize, focus,
sharpen]
6: become vague or indistinct; "The distinction between the two
theories blurred" [syn: blur, dim, slur] [ant:
focalise, focalize, focus]
blur I. nounEtymology: perhaps akin to Middle English bleren to blear
Date: 1519 1. a smear or stain that obscures 2.
something vaguely or indistinctly perceived; especially something
moving or occurring too quickly to be clearly perceived
II. verb (blurred; blurring)
Date: 1520 transitive verb1. to obscure or blemish by smearing 2.sully3.
to make dim, indistinct, or vague in outline or character 4. to
make cloudy or confused
intransitive verb1. to make blurs 2. to
become vague or indistinct
• blurringlyadverb
blur v. & n. --v. (blurred, blurring) 1 tr. & intr. make or become unclear or less distinct. 2 tr. smear; partially efface. 3 tr. make (one's memory, perception, etc.) dim or less
clear. --n. something that appears or sounds indistinct or unclear. Derivatives: blurry adj. (blurrier, blurriest). Etymology: 16th c.: perh. rel. to BLEAR
blur
(blurs, blurring, blurred)
1. A blur is a shape or area which you cannot see clearly because it has no distinct
outline or because it is moving very fast.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of movement on the other side of the glass...Her face is a blur.N-COUNT: oft N of n
2. When a thing blurs or when something blurs it, you cannot see it clearly
because its edges are no longer distinct.
This creates a spectrum of colours at the edges of objects which blurs the image...If you move your eyes and your head, the picture will blur.VERB: V n, V
• blurred...blurred black and white photographs.ADJ
3. If something blurs an idea or a distinction between things, that idea or distinction
no longer seems clear.
...her belief that scientists are trying to blur the distinction between 'how' and 'why'
questions...= obscure
VERB: V n
• blurredThe line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred.ADJ
4. If your vision blurs, or if something blurs it, you cannot see things clearly.
Her eyes, behind her glasses, began to blur...Sweat ran from his forehead into his eyes, blurring his vision.VERB: V, V n
• blurred...visual disturbances like eye-strain and blurred vision.ADJ
blur
blə: v. & n. --v. (blurred, blurring) 1 tr. & intr. make or
become unclear or less distinct. 2 tr. smear; partially efface. 3 tr. make
(one's memory, perception, etc.) dim or less clear. --n. something that appears
or sounds indistinct or unclear. øøblurry adj. (blurrier, blurriest). [16th
c.: perh. rel. to BLEAR]
Blur \Blur\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blurred; p. pr. & vb. n.
Blurring.] [Prob. of same origin as blear. See Blear.]
1. To render obscure by making the form or outline of
confused and uncertain, as by soiling; to smear; to make
indistinct and confused; as, to blur manuscript by
handling it while damp; to blur the impression of a
woodcut by an excess of ink.
But time hath nothing blurred those lines of favor
Which then he wore. --Shak.
2. To cause imperfection of vision in; to dim; to darken.
Her eyes are blurred with the lightning's glare.
--J. R. Drake.
3. To sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
Sarcasms may eclipse thine own, But can not blur my
lost renown. --Hudibras.
Syn: To spot; blot; disfigure; stain; sully.
Blur \Blur\ (bl[^u]r), n.
1. That which obscures without effacing; a stain; a blot, as
upon paper or other substance.
As for those who cleanse blurs with blotted fingers,
they make it worse. --Fuller.
2. A dim, confused appearance; indistinctness of vision; as,
to see things with a blur; it was all blur.
3. A moral stain or blot.
Lest she . . . will with her railing set a great
blur on mine honesty and good name. --Udall.
blur
blə: n.
1 indistinctness, dimness, haziness, cloudiness, fogginess: We were unable to pick out
the star from the blur of the Galaxy.
2 fog, haze, Brit fuzz: Without my spectacles, everything is a blur. --v.
3 dim, befog, obscure, bedim; efface: My vision was momentarily blurred, and I didn't
see the oncoming car.
4 obscure, hide, conceal, veil, mask; weaken: The Honourable Gentleman has blurred the
distinction between the unemployed and the unemployable.
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