Forms: 5–6 blere, 6–7 bleare, 7 bleer(e, 7– blear. [ME. blere, an epithet of the eyes: this and the cognate verb are of uncertain origin. There are no corresponding words in OE., and the only cognates in other Teutonic langs. are the mod.G. blerr soreness of the eyes, LG. blarr-oged, bleer-oged blear-eyed. Sw. plira, Da. plire to blink, leer, can hardly be connected. Though the vb. appears in our quotations before the adj., the form of the words and general analogies make it probable that the vb. was formed on the adj.]
1. Of the eyes or sight: Dim from water or other superficial affection.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xxi. (1495), 333. The syghte of a candyll is seen wythout lette of an eye that is hole, but of a blere eye it is nat seen wythout lykenesse and shape of a manere rayne bowe.
1547. Boorde, Brev. Health, ccv. 70 b. Blere eyes which is when the under lyd of the eye is subverted.
1561. Daus, trans. Bullinger on Apoc. (1573), 60. A medicine … to lay to sore and blere eyes.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. II. i. (1651), 71. It causeth bleer eyes.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sk.-bk. (1872), 49. Her eyes grew watery and blear.
1843. Ainsworth, Tower Lond. (1864), 47. His eyes were blear and glassy.
fig. 1641. Milton, Ch. Discip., I. (1851), 30. If our understanding … be blear with gazing on other false glisterings.
2. transf. Dim, misty, indistinct in outline.
1634. Milton, Comus, 153. To cheat the eye with blear illusion.
1809. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 596. The blear ice … sheds a dazzling glare.
1830. Aird, in Blackw. Mag., XXVIII. 813. On the blear autumn eves, When small birds shriek adown the wind.
Hence BLEAR-EYED a. q.v.; blear-witted, having the mental faculties dimmed.
1599. B. Jonson, Ev. Man out of Hum., V. ii. They were very blear-witted, i’ faith, that could not discern the gentleman in him.
