Forms: 5 bleren, 6 blear, Sc. bleir, 8–9 blair, 8– blare. [Identical in form and sense with MDu. blaren, LG. blaren (blarren, blaeren), MHG. blêren, blerren (mod.G. plärren); not found in the older stages of Teutonic, and generally taken as an imitative word. Cf. BLEA.]

1

  1.  intr. To roar with prolonged sound in weeping as a child; to bellow as a calf. Now chiefly dial.

2

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 40. Bloryyn, or wepyn [1499 bleren], ploro, feo.

3

1535.  Coverdale, Isa. xv. 4. The worthies also of Moab bleared and cried for very sorow. Ibid., 1 Sam. vi. 12. The kyne … wente on blearynge.

4

a. 1586.  R. Maitland, New Year. Thoch all thair barnes suld bleir.

5

1677.  Littleton, Lat. Dict., To blare, clamitare, muginari.

6

1783.  Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. To blare like a cow, mugio.

7

1791.  Cowper, Odyss., X. 499. Blaring oft, With one consent all dance their dams around.

8

1862.  Barnes, Rhymes Dorset Dial., I. 162. The calves did bleäry to be sar’d.

9

  2.  To sound a trumpet, to trumpet. (Now the ordinary word for this sound.)

10

1782.  Cowper, Lett., 27 April. Blairing like trumpeters at a fair.

11

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. I. x. 60. Innumerable regimental bands blare off. Ibid. (1865), Fredk. Gt., V. XIII. ix. 97. Those ‘subsidised 6,000,’ who go blaring about on English pay.

12

1863.  Tennyson, Welcome Alexandra, 14. Warble O bugle and trumpet blare.

13

  3.  trans. To utter in blaring.

14

1859.  Tennyson, Elaine, 939. A tongue To blare its own interpretation.

15

1863.  Tyneside Songs, 4. He blaired oot his last Cuckoo.

16

  † 4.  ‘To sweal, or melt away, as a Candle does.’ Bailey, 1721 [cf. flare]. Obs.–0

17