blemish
pronunciation
How to pronounce blemish in British English:
UK [ˈblemɪʃ]
How to pronounce blemish in American English:
US [ˈblemɪʃ]
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- Noun:
- a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body)
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- Verb:
- mar or spoil the appearance of
- mar or impair with a flaw
- add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective
Word Origin
- blemish (v.)
- early 14c., "to hurt, damage," from Old French blemiss- "to turn pale," extended stem of blemir, blesmir "to make pale; stain, discolor," also "to injure" (13c., Modern French blêmir), probably from Frankish *blesmjan "to cause to turn pale," or some other Germanic source, from Proto-Germanic *blas "shining, white," from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn" (see bleach (v.)). The order of appearance of senses in Middle English is "hurt, damage;" "impair morally, sully" (late 14c.); "mar, spoil, injure" (early 15c.); "to mar the beauty or soundness of" (mid-15c.). Related: Blemished; blemishing.
- blemish (n.)
- 1520s, from blemish (v.).
Example
- 1. The intense burst of electromagnetic radiation momentarily overwhelmed pixels in sdo 's detectors causing the bright vertical blemish .
- 2. A final blemish on the picture of tolerance is that the circle of those who are tolerated is tightly drawn .
- 3. The stars knew , of course , that the technology would reveal them in such fine detail that every blemish , line , pore and pock-mark would become clearly visible .
- 4. " Some porcelain blemishes compared to our family gathered at the table to enjoy these lovely dish meal , is not worth mentioning . But , " her eyes blinked , " every blemish has a story , isn 't it ? "
- 5. One blemish is that though a russian middle class has begun to emerge , it is almost matched in size-about a quarter of the population , say some-by the number of russians still living below the poverty line .