purblind en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈpɜːblaɪnd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈpɝblaɪnd/ (General-American)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Middle English purblind (“(adjective) completely blind; blind in one eye; near-sighted; (noun) near-sighted animal, specifically a hare”) [and other forms], possibly from pur, pure (“completely, entirely”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to be clean; pure”); influenced by pur- (prefix meaning ‘completely; forward; in advance’)) + blind (“sightless, blind”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlendʰ- (“to blend, mix up; to make cloudy or opaque”)). Adjective sense 4.1 (“completely blind”) was the original sense. The senses denoting partial blindness are possibly the result of confusion of the first element pur- with poor, perhaps through folk etymology. (Compare parboil regarding per versus pars.) The noun and verb are derived from the adjective.
Meanings
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(literary) Of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind; dim-sighted.
They […] ate the messes compounded for them in a darksome cupboard, known as the kitchen, by old Nanon the cook, purblind, stone-deaf, and all but imbecile, and popularly supposed to be the venerable mother of Madame Magnotte.
1868, [Mary Elizabeth Braddon], “Lenoble of Beaubocage”, in Charlotte’s Inheritance […], volume I, London: Ward, Lock, and Tyler […], →OCLC, book I (De Profundis), page 2:Thy dignitie or autorite, wherin thou onely differest from other, is (as it were) but a weighty or heuy cloke, fresshely gliteringe in the eyen of them that be poreblynde, where unto the it is paynefull, if thou weare hym in his right facion, and as it shal best become the.
1531, Thomas Elyot, “The Thre Noble Counsayles of Reason, Societe, and Knowlege”, in Ernest Rhys, editor, The Boke Named the Governour […] (Everyman’s Library), London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent & Co; New York, N.Y.: E[dward] P[ayson] Dutton & Co, published [1907], →OCLC, 3rd book, page 203:[H]e vvent into one of the boxes at the play-houſe, as uſual, to ſhevv himſelf to the ladies; and in reconnoitring the company through a glaſs, (for no other reaſon, but becauſe it vvas faſhionable to be purblind) perceived his miſtreſs very plainly dreſſed, in one of the ſeats above the ſtage, talking to another young vvoman of a very homely appearance.
1751, [Tobias] Smollett, “The Young Gentleman Having Settled His Domestick Affairs, Arrives in London, and Sets Up a Gay Equipage. He Meets with Emilia, and is Introduced to Her Uncle.”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume III, London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC, page 12:[T]here were shown in to us an old, worn, purblind, ascetic-looking priest, […]
1891 February–December, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Hatiheu”, in In the South Seas […], New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1896, →OCLC, part I (The Marquesas), page 63:And when thou hast on foot the purblind hare, / Mark the poor wretch, to overshoot his troubles, / How he outruns the wind, and with what care, / He cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles: […]
1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC, [verse 114], lines [679–682]; republished as Shakespeare’s Venus & Adonis: […], London: J[oseph] M[alaby] Dent and Co. […], 1896, →OCLC, verse 114, page 41, lines 679–682:
- (literary) Of the eyes: unable to see well, especially due to old age; weak.
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(figuratively, literary) Of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding; dim-witted, unintelligent.
The public is the pupae of the purposely purblind […]
1959 April 21, Walt Kelly, Pogo: The Complete Syndicated Comic Strips, Seattle, Wash.: Fantagraphics Books, published 2011, →ISBN, page 34:Finally, between 1880 and 1900, an explosive burst of experimental activity at last drove home the truth of germ theory to all but the most purblind of critics.
2002, John Waller, “Introduction: Revolutionary, by Any Standards”, in John Turney, editor, The Discovery of the Germ: Twenty Years that Transformed the Way We Think about Disease (Revolutions in Science), New York, N.Y.: Columbia University Press, →ISBN, page 4:O purblind race of miserable men, / How many among us at this very hour / Do forge a life-long trouble for ourselves. / By taking true for false, or false for true.
1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, pages 45–46:A herd of palsied purblind idiots hugging their sterile profits close to their sunken chests in the face of my father’s displeasure.
1951, Isaac Asimov, chapter 16, in Foundation, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, published March 1967, →OCLC, part V (The Merchant Princes), page 191:When she ceased the auricular impressions from their previous endearments seemed to hustle away into the corners of their brains, repeating themselves as echoes from a time of supremely purblind foolishness.
1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter XXV, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume II, London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC, phase the fifth (The Woman Pays), page 200:Yet did my Breſt that glorious fire incloſe, / VVhich their dull purblind Ignorance not ſavv, […]
1607, Michael Drayton, “The Legend of Great Cromwell”, in Poems: […], London: […] Willi[am] Stansby for Iohn Smethwicke, published 1630, →OCLC, page 437:
- (figuratively, literary) Of a place: poorly illuminated; dark, dim.
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(literary, obsolete) Completely blind.
Speake to my goſhip Venus one faire vvord, / One nickname for her purblind ſonne and her, / Young Abraham: Cupid he that ſhot ſo true, / VVhen King Cophetua lou'd the beger mayd.
c. 1591–1595 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] Romeo and Iuliet. […] (Second Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, […], published 1599, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:This vvimpled vvhy[n]ing purblind vvayvvard Boy, / This ſignior Iunios gyant dvvarffe, dan Cupid, […]
c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:This is a nevv ſalute: / Sure h'as forgot me: this is pur-blinde Cupid.
c. 1619–1621, John Fletcher, “The Island Princesse”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act III, scene i, page 105, column 1:
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(literary, obsolete) Having one eye blind.
The French haue a good Prouerbe. Entre les auengles, les borgnes ſont les Roys: Among the blinde, the pore blind are the Kings. And thus they vvhich haue no skill in tongues, vvill boldly ſay, that this or that man doth perfectly, and vvithout ſtamering, ſpeake many tongs.
1617, Fynes Moryson, “Of Precepts for Trauellers, which may Instruct the Vnexperienced”, in An Itinerary Written by Fynes Moryson Gent. […]: Containing His Ten Yeeres Travell through the Twelve Domjnions of Germany, Bohmerland, Sweitzerland, Netherland, Denmarke, Poland, Jtaly, Turky, France, England, Scotland, and Ireland. […], London: […] John Beale, […], →OCLC, book I, part III, pages 15–16:
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(literary, obsolete) Near-sighted, short-sighted; myopic.
I am sorry to hear your complaints still of giddiness. I was in hopes you would have mended, like my purblind eyes, with old age.
1736 February 20 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Elizabeth “Betty” Germain, “From Lady Betty Germain”, in Jonathan Swift, edited by Thomas Sheridan and John Nichols, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XIII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 248:Pore-blinde Men, ſee beſt in the Dimmer Lights; And likevviſe haue their Sight Stronger neere hand, than thoſe that are not Pore-blinde, And can Reade and VVrite ſmaller Letters.
1631, Francis [Bacon], “IX. Century. [Experiments in Consort Touching the Eyes, and Sight.]”, in Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. […], 3rd edition, London: […] William Rawley […]; [p]rinted by J[ohn] H[aviland] for William Lee […], →OCLC, paragraph 870, page 223:The man that is pore blinde, cannot ſee far from hym. And as to ioke on deth we be for the moſt part pore blinde all yͭ mayny: for we cannot ſee hym til he cõe [come] very nere vs. But theſe folk be not pore blynde but ſtarke blynde: for they cãnot ſee him when he commeth ſo nere, yͭ hee putteth almoſte his finger in theyr eye.
c. 1522 (date written), Thomas More, “A Treatyce (Vnfynyshed) vppon These Wordes of Holye Scrypture, Memorare Nouissima, & Ineternum non Peccabis, Remember the Last Thynges, and Thou shalt Neuer Synne. […]. Of Couertise.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, column 94:
- (literary, obsolete, rare) Far-sighted, long-sighted; hypermetropic.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| most purblind | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more purblind | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| poreblind | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
gifted · scholared · brainy · intelligent · genius · brilliant · astute · clever · quick on the uptake · sharp · smart · talented · savvy · knowledgeable · quick-witted · piquant · educated · keen · hivey · intellectual · sagacious · whip-smart · rational · bright · ingenious · quick · wise
Deriveds
purblindness · purblinded · purblindly
Relateds
Synonyms
dull · numbskulled · pudding-headed · quarter-witted · thickheaded · bullet-headed · mindless · dense · imbecilic · unapprehensive · pratty · beef-witted · not the sharpest tool in the shed · obtuse · insipid · peabrained · sharp as a bowling ball · dunderheaded · foolish · cerebrally challenged · simple · addlepated · half-brained · dim-bulb · vacuous · fuckwitted · moronic · dim · boofheaded · slow · sheep-headed · blockheaded · feeble-minded · dull-headed · not the sharpest knife in the drawer · beetle-headed · purblind · thickwitted · braindead · beefheaded · oafish · empty-headed · chuckleheaded · fuzzy-headed · dumb as a sack of hammers · obtuse · thick as champ · ignorant · daft · bee-brained · lunkheaded · lamebrained · fatheaded · dumb as a bag of hammers · dozy · fuzzy-minded · boneheaded · unclever · rockheaded · not the sharpest crayon in the box · drowsy · purblinded · hammer-headed · ass-brained · lowbrow · dumber than a box of rocks · unintelligent · dumb as dirt · thick as two short planks · thick as pig shit · flea-brained · thick as a whale omelette · witless · goofy · wool-headed · bisson · dumb as a post · monosynaptic · addlebrained · unsmart · purblinded · doltish · dopey · smooth-brained · dumber than a rock · idiotic · ridiculous · woolly-headed · puerile · Boeotian · chowderheaded · dim-headed · stupid · wooden-headed · silly · dull-witted · dented · thick-skulled · shit-for-brains · mentally retarded · buffle-headed · bubbleheaded · woolly-minded · sandblind · half-witted · slow-witted · brainless · half-sighted · dumb as a box of rocks · cretinous · uninformed · thick as mince · mope-eyed · dumb · muttonheaded · slow on the uptake · childish · intellectually challenged · lumpish · thick as a plank · airheaded · dull-minded · stolid · nitwitted · dumb as an ox · thick as a brick · crackbrained · vacant · knuckleheaded · inane · soft · retarded · mentally challenged · dumb as a doorknob · dim-witted · thick · birdbrained · moonblind
Translations (20)
ru полуслепой (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · ja 纈 (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · lt pùsaklis (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · cmn 半盲 (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · ja 半盲 (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · fi yksinkertainen (of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding — see also dim-witted, unintelligent) · it lippo (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · bg полусляп (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · sv skumögd (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · fi puolisokea (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · grc νενῐ́ηλος (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · fi hidasälyinen (of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding — see also dim-witted, unintelligent) · bn অন্ধপ্রায় (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · ka ბეცი (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · la lippus (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · fi heikkonäköinen (of the eyes: unable to see well, especially due to old age — see also weak) · mk по́луслеп (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · de halbblind (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · hu vaksi (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted) · ga caoch (of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind — see also dim-sighted)