Pa. t. and pple. blushed, blusht. Forms: 4–6 blusche, blusshe, 4 blosche, 4–5 blysche, 5 blushe, 6 bluss, 6– blush. (Rare pa. t. in 5 blist = blyscht). [Evidently related to a series of words found in Old Norse and Low German, but not known in OHG. or Gothic, pointing back to a stem *blūsi- from verbal root *blūs- in sense of ‘burn, glow, be red.’ Cf. OE. *blysian in ablisian to blush, ablysung, ablysʓung ‘redness of confusion, shame,’ with MDu. blözen, blözen (from earlier bleuzen), Du. blozen to blush, blos (formerly bleus) blush, MLG. blosen, bloschen; also OE. blysa wk. masc., blysiʓe wk. fem., ON. blys neut. ‘torch’ (Sw. bloss torch, blossa to blaze, Da. blus torch, blusse to blaze, to blush), LG. blüse flame, blüsen to set on fire, bleusteren to inflame, glow, become red. The nearest relatives of ME. blusche, blosche, blysche, are app. MLG. bloschen, LG. blüsken (Brem. Wb. I. 105): and its antecedent form is perhaps to be found in OE. blyscan, bliscan ‘rutilare’ (in the Aldhelm Glosses, Mone Q. und F. 355): but its comparatively late appearance in ME., apparently first in the north, its various vowel-forms, and the doubtful relations of the senses, esp. sense 2, all combine to leave the history of the word very obscure. OE. blyscan, bliscan, has also been conjectured to be for *blicsian, from root *blik- to shine, in which case it would not be related to the blūsi- words, nor to ME. blusche. (The Da. deponent blues to blush, may also be compared.)]
(The order of the senses is uncertain; with 1 and 2 cf. BLINK.)
† 1. intr. To shine forth. (in allit. poetry.) Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1817. Þat bere blusschande bemez, as þe bryȝt sunne.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4665. The bremnes abatid; blusshit the sun.
† 2. To cast a glance, glance with the eye, give a look. (in allit. poetry.) Obs.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 998. Ho blusched hir bihynde, þaȝ hir forboden were. Ibid., C. 343. Þe bonk þat he blosched to, & bode hym bisyde.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 116. The kynge blyschit one the beryne with his brode eghne.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3163. The lioun bremely on tham blist.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1316. He blusshed ouer backeward to þe brode see.
c. 1450. Merlin, xvi. 259. [Thei] ne wiste no worde till sodeinly the blusshed vpon a grete parte of saisnes.
b. To blush to the earth: to glance to the earth, i.e., to fall face downwards.
c. 1450. Merlin, vii. 120. The stroke descended on the horse … and ydiers and his horse blusshet to the erthe. Ibid., 137. Thei smot so v of the first that thei metten that thei blushit to the erthe.
c. To blush on: to approach in look or appearance. Cf. BLUSH sb. 3.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 381. A lyghte kyrtell of chaungeable vyolet tartorne, somewhat blusshynge on a red coloure.
3. intr. To become red in the face, (usually) from shame or modesty; to ‘color up.’ Often with compl. to blush red, etc., also with cogn. object.
c. 1450. Crt. of Love, clxxii. Shamefastnes was there … That blushed red, and durst not ben aknow She lover was.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847), 11. Anone she blusshed, revolvynge in her mynde … That it was token of to great carnall lust.
1532. Ld. Berners, Huon, 550. She changed coloure and blussyd as rudy as a rose. Ibid., 286. He blusshed in the face for the gret yre that he was in.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., V. i. 122. What canst thou say all this and neuer blush?
1611. Bible, Jer. vi. 15. They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush.
1667. Milton, P. L., VIII. 511. To the Nuptial Bowre I led her blushing like the Morn.
1709. Pope, Ess. Crit., 545. And virgins smiled at what they blushed before.
1769. Junius Lett., xxxv. 153. That prince … used … to blush for his … ignorance.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, III. 53. Catharine blushes a blush of anger.
1872. Darwin, Emotions, xiii. 311. The young blush much more freely than the old. Women blush much more than men…. The tendency to blush is inherited.
1882. Besant, All Sorts, 137. She blushed a pretty rose red.
fig. 1750. Gray, Elegy, xiv. Full many a flower is born to blush unseen.
† b. To look on with a blush. Obs.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1339. Blushing on her.
c. trans. With extended force: To express, exhibit, make known by blushing. Chiefly poetic.
1592. Warner, Alb. Eng., VIII. xli. 201. She blush’t out beauty.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 595. Ile blush you Thanks.
1651. Fuller, Abel Rediv., 224. Many unworthy Schollars … whose scarlet Gowns might seeme to blush the wearers Ignorance.
1800. Moore, Anacreon, lxiii. 4. The boy, who breathes and blushes flowers!
1855. Tennyson, Maud, xvii. 16. Pass the happy news, Blush it through the West.
d. To make or turn into, out of, by blushing.
1636. R. Durham, in Ann. Dubrensia (1877), 55. Whom chast Diana blusht into a beast.
1660. Fuller, Mixt Contempl. (1841), 188. They will blush themselves out of their former follies.
a. 1848. Marryat, R. Reefer, xx. I should blush myself black in the face.
4. fig. To be ashamed. Const. inf., at or for.
1530. Palsgr., 459/1. I blusshe, I waxe ashamed.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. 33. I blush to tell you.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., II. iv. 48. Be thou milde, and blush not at my shame.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., vii. 241. So monstrous an Absurdity, as even They will blush to be charged with.
1734. Bolingbroke, in Swift’s Lett. (1766), II. 199. I do not blush to own, that I am out of fashion.
1791. Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 332. As one of the people, I blush for what has followed.
1871. Freeman, Hist. Ess., Ser. I. iii. 76. When we look at the atrocities which living Englishmen have committed and justified in India and Jamaica, King Edward need not blush for the comparison.
5. transf. To become or be red, or roseate.
1679. Est. Test., 38. If our streets … should blush with the blood of Massacred Protestants.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 601. Trees of Nature … with red Berries blush.
1791–1824. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit. (1866), 523/1. Hills … blushing with vines.
1866. B. Taylor, Thro’ Baltimore, Poems 402. The streets … Blushed with their children’s gore.
1866. Alger, Solit. Nat. & Man, I. 19. Whole orchards of apple-blossoms blush in correspondence.
6. trans. To make red.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 167. Ne’re returneth, To blush and beautifie the Cheeke againe.
1747. T. Gibbons, Elegy, xiii. in Doddridge, Col. Gardiner, App. ii. 216. A Robe of spotless White, But where the Saviour’s flowing Vein Had blush’d it with a sanguine Stain.
1820. Keats, St. Agnes, xxiv. A shielded scutcheon blushed with blood of queens and kings.
