Also 4 blynde, 6 blynd, 6–7 blinde. [f. BLIND v. (? or adj.)]
1. Anything that obstructs the light or sight.
1702. C. Mather, Magn. Chr., VII. iv. (1852), 522. Blinds to keep … light from entring into the souls of men.
1768. Blackstone, Comm., II. 402. If I have an antient window overlooking my neighbour’s ground, he may not erect any blind to obstruct the light.
1815. Byron, Parisina, xvii. To bind Those eyes which would not brook such blind.
2. spec. A screen for a window, made of woven material mounted on a roller, of wire gauze, etc.; used to prevent the entrance of too much light, or to keep people from seeing in. Venetian blinds: those made of light laths fixed on strips of webbing.
1786. trans. Beckford’s Vathek (1868), 19. The women … flew to their blinds to discover the cause.
1788. Ld. Auckland, Corr. (1861), II. 67. The making visits … is done in a carriage with blinds.
1855. Dickens, Dorrit, i. Blinds, shutters, curtains, awnings were all closed and drawn.
3. A blinker for a horse; cf. 8.
4. Fortification. A blindage.
1644. in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. II. 739. Massey caused a blind to be made across the street.
1710. Lond. Gaz., No. 4692/1. We had thrown up some Blinds to cover our Men.
1802. C. James, Mil. Dict., s.v.
† 5. Any means or place of concealment. Obs.
1646. Shirley, On Death of C. Dalby. So will they … sleep Till the last trumpet wake ’em, and then creep Into some blind.
1697. Dryden, Virg. (1806), III. 52. The watchful shepherd, from the blind, Wounds with a random shaft the careless hind.
6. fig. Any thing or action intended to conceal one’s real design; a pretence, a pretext.
1664–94. South, 12 Serm., II. 208. A Practice, which duly seen into, and stript of its Hypocritical Blinds, could not [etc.].
1713. Steele, Guardian, No. 150 (1756), II. 263. Her constant care of me was only a blind.
1732. Swift, Wks. (1841), II. 127. These verses were only a blind to conceal the most dangerous designs of the party.
1833. Coleridge, Table-t., 14 May. There is one sonnet [of Shakspeare’s] which, from its incongruity, I take to be a purposed blind.
† 7. Naut. A spritsail [= Du. blinde]. Obs.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), I. 20. With fuksaill, topsaill, manesall, musall, and blynd.
8. Comb. chiefly attrib., as (in sense 2) blind-cord, -pulley, -roller, etc.; (in sense 3) blind-halter, -winkers; blind-bridle, a bridle with blinkers.
1711. Lond. Gaz., No. 4875/4. Galled on both sides of her Head with a blind Halter.
1866. Youatt, Horse, v. (1872), 113. Last of all, the blind winkers.
1881. Young, Every Man his own Mechanic, § 714. Let us see how to make a blind-roller.
1883. Cable, Dr. Sevier, vi. A quarter circle of iron-work set like a blind-bridle.
