Link Centre Dictionary

blemish

ble·mish

UK/ˈblɛmɪʃ/ US/ˈblɛmɪʃ/ uncommon

noun

1.

a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person''s body)

  • “a facial blemish”
Synonyms

verb

1.

mar or spoil the appearance of

  • “scars defaced her cheeks”
  • “The vandals disfigured the statue”
2.

mar or impair with a flaw

  • “her face was blemished”
Synonyms
3.

add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English blemisshen, blemissen, from Old French blemiss-, stem of Old French blemir, blesmir (“make pale, injure, wound, bruise”) (French blêmir), from Old Frankish *blesmijan, *blasmijan (“to make pale”), from Old Frankish *blasmī (“pale”), from Proto-Germanic *blasaz (“white, pale”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate with Dutch bles (“white spot”), German blass (“pale”), Old English āblered (“bare, uncovered, bald, shaven”).

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.