blind

English

Alternative forms

• (archaic) blinde

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blaɪnd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪndb

Etymology

From Old English blind, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz. Akin to German blind, Old High German blint.

Adjective

blind (comparative blinder, superlative blindest)

1. (not comparable, of a person or animal) Unable to see, due to physiological or neurological factors.
   • Shakespeare

     He that is strucken blind cannot forget / The precious treasure of his eyesight lost.

   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island,

     He was plainly blind, for he tapped before him with a stick, and wore a great green shade over his eyes and nose...

2. (not comparable, of an eye) Unable to be used to see, due to physiological or neurological factors.
3. (comparable) Failing to see, acknowledge, perceive.

   The lovers were blind to each other's faults.

   Authors are blind to their own defects.

4. (not comparable) Of a place, having little or no visibility.

   a blind path; a blind ditch; a blind corner

   • Milton

     the blind mazes of this tangled wood

5. (not comparable) Closed at one end; having a dead end

   a blind gut

6. (not comparable) Having no openings for light or passage.

   a blind wall, a blind alley

7. smallest or slightest in phrases such as

   I shouted, but he didn't take a blind bit of notice.

   We pulled and pulled, but it didn't make a blind bit of difference.

8. (not comparable) without any prior knowledge.

   He took a blind guess at which fork in the road would take him to the airport.

9. (not comparable) unconditional; without regard to evidence, logic, reality, accidental mistakes, extenuating circumstances, etc.

   blind deference

   blind justice

   blind punishment

   • Jay

     This plan is recommended neither to blind approbation nor to blind reprobation.

10. Unintelligible or illegible.

    a blind passage in a book; blind writing

11. (horticulture) Abortive; failing to produce flowers or fruit.

    blind buds; blind flowers

Derived terms

Terms derived from blind (adjective)

• blind alley
• blind as a bat
• blind curve
• blind date
• blind drunk (See also Wikisaurus:drunk)
• blind gut
• blind map
• blind pig
• blind pool
• blind spot
• blind stamp
• the blind leading the blind
• blind tiger
• blinders
• blindfish
• blindfold

• blindman's buff
• blinds
• blindworm
• double-blind
• in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king
• love is blind
• moon-blind
• night-blind
• purblind
• rob somebody blind
• snow-blind
• stereoblind
• there are none so blind as those who will not see
• turn a blind eye
• word-blind

Translations

unable to see

• Albanian: verbër (sq)
• Arabic: أَعْمَى‎ (ar) m (ʾaʿmā), عَمْيَاء‎ f (ʿamyāʾ), كَفِيف‎ (kafīf)
• Armenian: կույր (hy) (kuyr)
• Aromanian: orbu
• Asturian: ciegu (ast)
• Azeri: kor (az)
• Baluchi: کور‎ (kor)
• Bashkir: һуҡыр (huqïr)
• Basque: itsu
• Belarusian: сляпы́ (sljapý)
• Breton: dall (br)
• Bulgarian: сляп (bg) (sljap)
• Burmese: ကန်း (my) (kan:)
• Catalan: cec (ca), orb
• Chamicuro: manatsa
• Chechen: бӀаьрзе (bʿärze)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 盲 (maang⁴), 失明 (sat¹ ming⁴) (formal)

  Hakka: 瞎目 (hat-muk)

  Mandarin: 盲 (zh) (máng), 盲目 (zh) (mángmù), 失明 (zh) (shīmíng) (formal), 瞎 (zh) (xiā) (colloquial), 瞽 (zh) (gǔ) (archaic)

  Min Nan: 青盲 (zh-min-nan) (chheⁿ-mê, chhiⁿ-mî), 失明 (zh-min-nan) (sit-bêng) (formal)

• Czech: slepý (cs) m
• Dalmatian: vuarb, uarb
• Danish: blind (da)
• Dutch: blind (nl)
• Esperanto: blinda (eo)
• Estonian: pime (et)
• Faroese: blindur
• Finnish: sokea (fi)
• Franco-Provençal: avoglo
• French: aveugle (fr) m, f, mal-voyant (fr) m, mal-voyante f
• Friulian: vuarb
• Galician: cego (gl), invidente
• Georgian: ბრმა (brma)
• German: blind (de)
• Greek: τυφλός (el) (tyflós), αόμματος (el) (aómmatos)

  Ancient: τυφλός (tuphlós), ἀλαός (alaós)

• Hebrew: עיוור‎ (he) (iver)
• Hindi: अंधा (hi) (ãndhā)
• Hungarian: vak (hu)
• Icelandic: blindur (is) m
• Ido: blinda (io)
• Ilocano: bulsek
• Indonesian: buta (id)
• Irish: dall (ga)
• Istriot: uorbo
• Italian: cieco (it), orbo (it)
• Japanese: 失明した (shitsumei shita), 目の見えない (me no mienai), 盲目の (ja) (もうもくの, mōmoku no), 盲 (ja) (mekura) (a blind person)
• Kalmyk: сохр (soxr)
• Kazakh: соқыр (kk) (soqır)
• Khmer: ខ្វាក់ (km) (kvak)
• Korean: 눈이 먼 (nun-i meon)

• Kurdish: kor (ku)

  Sorani: کوێر‎

• Latgalian: oklys m
• Latin: caecus (la) m
• Latvian: akls (lv), neredzīgs
• Lithuanian: ãklas
• Luxembourgish: blann (lb)
• Macedonian: слеп (slep)
• Malay: buta, tunanetra
• Mongolian: сохор (mn) (sohor)
• Norman: aveugl'ye m, f
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: blind (no) m, f

  Nynorsk: blind m, f

• Occitan: òrb (oc), cec
• Old Church Slavonic: слѣпъ (slěpŭ)
• Persian: کور‎ (fa) (kur), نابینا‎ (fa) (nabina)
• Polish: ślepy (pl) m, niewidomy (pl) m
• Portuguese: cego (pt)
• Quechua: ñausa, gapra
• Romanian: orb (ro)
• Romansch: tschorv, orv, orb
• Russian: слепо́й (ru) (slepój), незря́чий (ru) (nezrjáčij)
• Sardinian: tzecu, cegu, tzegu
• Scottish Gaelic: dall
• Serbo-Croatian: слеп, слијеп, slep (sh), slijep (sh)
• Sicilian: orvu (scn), orbu (scn)
• Slovak: slepý
• Slovene: slep (sl)
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: slěpy

• Spanish: ciego (es)
• Swahili: kipofu (sw)
• Swedish: blind (sv) c, synskadad (sv) c
• Tagalog: bulag (tl)
• Tajik: кӯр (tg) (kür)
• Tamil: குருடு (ta) (kuruṭu)
• Telugu: గుడ్డి (te) (guḍḍi)
• Thai: ตาบอด (th) (dtaa-bòt)
• Tlingit: lkhooshtéeni
• Turkish: kör (tr), görme engelli (tr), görmez (tr), âmâ (tr), gözsüz (tr)
• Tuvan: согур (sogur)
• Ukrainian: сліпи́й (slipýj)
• Urdu: اندھا‎ (ãndhā)
• Venetian: orbo, cioro, ciore
• Vietnamese: mù (vi), đui mù
• Volapük: bleinik (vo)
• Warlpiri: pampa
• Welsh: dall (cy)
• West Frisian: blyn
• Yiddish: בלינד‎ (blind)
• Yoruba: afọju

unable to be used to see

• Finnish: sokea (fi)

• German: blind (de)

failing to see

• Asturian: ciegu (ast)
• Catalan: cec (ca)
• Finnish: sokea (fi)
• Galician: cego (gl)

• German: blind (de), unkritisch (de), ignorant
• Portuguese: cego (pt)
• Spanish: ciego (es)

having little or no visibility

• Finnish: sokko

• Slovene: nepregleden

closed at one end

• Finnish: umpi-
• Greek: αδιέξοδος (el) m (adiéxodos)

• Irish: caoch
• Welsh: pengaead

having no openings for light or passage

• Finnish: umpinainen

• Irish: caoch

smallest or slightest

• Finnish: vähintäkään, pienintäkään

without any prior knowledge

• Finnish: puhdas (fi)

• Polish: w ciemno, na ślepo

unconditional; without regard to evidence

• Finnish: sokea (fi)
• German: blind (de)

• Japanese: 無条件の (mujōken no)

unintelligible or illegible

• Finnish: käsittämätön (fi)

• Greek: δυσανάγνωστος (el) m (dysanágnostos)

horticulture: failing to produce flowers or fruit

See also

• invisible (unable to be seen)
• anosmic
• deaf
• print disabled

Noun

blind (plural blinds)

1. A covering for a window to keep out light. The covering may be made of cloth or of narrow slats that can block light or allow it to pass.
   • 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 12, in Crime out of Mind^[1]:

     Light filtered in through the blinds of the french windows. It made tremulous stripes along the scrubbed pine floor.

2. A destination sign mounted on a public transport vehicle displaying the route destination, number, name and/or via points, etc.
3. Any device intended to conceal or hide.

   a duck blind

4. Something to mislead the eye or the understanding, or to conceal some covert deed or design; a subterfuge.
5. (military) A blindage.
6. A halting place.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Dryden to this entry?)

7. (baseball, slang, 1800s) No score.
8. (poker) A forced bet: the small blind or the big blind.

   The blinds are $10/$20 and the ante is $1.

9. (poker) A player who is forced to pay such a bet.

   The blinds immediately folded when I reraised.

10. (uncountable) Those who are blind, taken as a group.

    Braille is a writing system for the blind.

Synonyms

• (destination sign): rollsign (mainly US)

Derived terms

• big blind
• blinders
• small blind
• Venetian blind
• blind map

Translations

covering for a window

• Asturian: persiana f
• Bulgarian: щори pl (štori), жалузи (bg) pl (žaluzi)
• Catalan: persiana (ca) f (made of slats)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 百葉窗 (zh), 百叶窗 (zh) (bǎiyèchuāng)

• Danish: gardin (da) n, rullegardin (da) n
• Dutch: blind (nl) n
• Finnish: verho (fi), rullaverho, (made of slats) sälekaihdin, markiisi (fi)
• French: store (fr) m
• Galician: persiana f
• Georgian: ჟალუზი (žaluzi), დარაბა (daraba)
• German: (1) ^{(please verify)} Jalousie (de) f (slats), (1) ^{(please verify)} Rouleau n, (1) ^{(please verify)} Rolladen (de) f (outside)
• Greek: γρίλλια f (gríllia), σκιάδιο n (skiádio)

• Hebrew: תריס‎ (he) m (tris)
• Irish: dallóg f, dallóg fuinneoige f
• Italian: tenda (it) f
• Japanese: ブラインド (buraindo), 雨戸 (あまど, amado)
• Persian: پرده کرکره‎ (fa) (parde kerkere)
• Polish: zasłona (pl) f
• Portuguese: persiana (pt) f
• Russian: што́ры (ru) f pl (štóry) (curtain), марки́за (ru) f (markíza) (marquee), жалюзи́ (ru) pl (žaljuzí) (jalousie), ставни (ru) f pl (stavni) (shutters)
• Scottish Gaelic: sgàile f
• Spanish: celosía (es) f, persiana (es) f
• Swedish: rullgardin c, gardin (sv) c, persienn (sv) c (made of slats), jalousi (sv) n, markis (sv) c (awning)
• Volapük: rulakörten
• Welsh: blaind

destination sign

• Finnish: linjakilpi

forced bet in poker

• Finnish: sokkopanos
• French: blind (fr) m
• German: Blind n

• Spanish: ciega (es) f
• Swedish: mörk (sv) c

See also

• curtain
• jalousie

Verb

blind (third-person singular simple present blinds, present participle blinding, simple past and past participle blinded)

1. (transitive) To make temporarily or permanently blind.

   The light was so bright that for a moment he was blinded.

   Don't wave that pencil in my face - do you want to blind me?

   • South

     A blind guide is certainly a great mischief; but a guide that blinds those whom he should lead is […] a much greater.

2. (slang, obsolete) To curse.
   • 1890, Rudyard Kipling, The Young British Soldier

     If you're cast for fatigue by a sergeant unkind,

     Don't grouse like a woman, nor crack on, nor blind;

     Be handy and civil, and then you will find

     That it's beer for the young British soldier.

3. To darken; to obscure to the eye or understanding; to conceal.
   • Dryden

     Such darkness blinds the sky.

   • Stillingfleet

     The state of the controversy between us he endeavored, with all his art, to blind and confound.

4. To cover with a thin coating of sand and fine gravel, for example a road newly paved, in order that the joints between the stones may be filled.

Derived terms

• blind with science
• blinder
• blinding
• blindness

Translations

make temporarily or permanently blind

• Armenian: կուրացնել (hy) (kuracʿnel)
• Asturian: cegar
• Bulgarian: ослепявам (bg) (oslepjavam), заслепявам (bg) (zaslepjavam)
• Catalan: cegar (ca)
• Danish: blænde
• Dutch: verblinden (nl), blenden
• Estonian: pimestama
• Finnish: (temporarily or permanently) sokaista (fi), (permanently) sokeuttaa
• French: aveugler (fr)
• Galician: cegar (gl)
• German: blenden (de)
• Greek: τυφλώνω (el) (tyflóno)
• Hungarian: vakít (hu)
• Ido: blindigar (io)
• Irish: dall (ga), caoch

  Old Irish: cáechaid, dallaid

• Italian: accecare (it)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: کوێر کردن‎

• Latin: caecō, excaeco, occaeco
• Latvian: apžilbināt
• Maori: whakapohe, whakamatapō
• Norman: aveuglier
• Norwegian: blinde (no) (permanently), blende (temporarily, as by the sun)
• Portuguese: cegar (pt)
• Russian: слепи́ть (ru) impf (slepítʹ), ослепля́ть (ru) impf (oslepljátʹ), ослепи́ть (ru) pf (oslepítʹ)
• Slovene: oslepiti, zaslepiti
• Spanish: cegar (es)
• Swedish: förblinda (sv), (by means of strong light) blända (sv)
• Volapük: bleinükön (vo)

Adverb

blind (comparative more blind, superlative most blind)

1. Without seeing; unseeingly.
2. (poker, three card brag) Without looking at the cards dealt.

Translations

without seeing

• Basque: itsu
• Finnish: sokeasti (fi), sokkona
• Greek: τυφλά (el) (tyflá)

• Italian: ciecamente (it)
• Russian: вслепу́ю (ru) (vslepúju)

without looking at the cards

• Finnish: sokkona

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Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind

1. blind

Inflection

Inflection of blind
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	blind	mere blind	mest blind2
Neuter singular	blindt	mere blind	mest blind2
Plural	blinde	mere blind	mest blind2
Definite attributive1	blinde	mere blind	mest blinde
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “blind” in Den Danske Ordbog

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪnt

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch blint, from Old Dutch *blind, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind (comparative blinder, superlative blindst)

1. blind (unable to see)

Inflection

Inflection of blind
uninflected	blind
inflected	blinde
comparative	blinder
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		blind	blinder	het blindst het blindste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	blinde	blindere	blindste
	n. sing.	blind	blinder	blindste
	plural	blinde	blindere	blindste
definite		blinde	blindere	blindste
partitive		blinds	blinders	—

Etymology 2

From blinden.

Alternative forms

• blinde f

Noun

blind n (plural blinden, diminutive blindje n)

1. window shutter

Synonyms

• luik

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German

Etymology

Old High German blint, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɪnt/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

blind (comparative blinder, superlative am blindesten)

1. blind
2. (of a mirror or windowpane) cloudy
   • 1918, Elisabeth von Heyking, Die Orgelpfeifen, in: Zwei Erzählungen, Phillipp Reclam jun. Verlag, page 9:

     So dunkel und schauerlich die Gruft aussah, wenn man durch die blinden, bestaubten Scheibchen der kleinen Fenster hineinblickte, so hell und freundlich war oben die Kirche.

     Just as dark and eerie the crypt looked like, if one looked in it through the cloudy, dusted little panes of the small windows, as bright and friendly was the church above.

Derived terms

• blinder Passagier
• farbenblind
• nachtblind

Declension

Positive forms of blind

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist blind	sie ist blind	es ist blind	sie sind blind
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blinder	blinde	blindes	blinde
	genitive	blinden	blinder	blinden	blinder
	dative	blindem	blinder	blindem	blinden
	accusative	blinden	blinde	blindes	blinde
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blinde	die blinde	das blinde	die blinden
	genitive	des blinden	der blinden	des blinden	der blinden
	dative	dem blinden	der blinden	dem blinden	den blinden
	accusative	den blinden	die blinde	das blinde	die blinden
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blinder	eine blinde	ein blindes	(keine) blinden
	genitive	eines blinden	einer blinden	eines blinden	(keiner) blinden
	dative	einem blinden	einer blinden	einem blinden	(keinen) blinden
	accusative	einen blinden	eine blinde	ein blindes	(keine) blinden

Comparative forms of blind

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist blinder	sie ist blinder	es ist blinder	sie sind blinder
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blinderer	blindere	blinderes	blindere
	genitive	blinderen	blinderer	blinderen	blinderer
	dative	blinderem	blinderer	blinderem	blinderen
	accusative	blinderen	blindere	blinderes	blindere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blindere	die blindere	das blindere	die blinderen
	genitive	des blinderen	der blinderen	des blinderen	der blinderen
	dative	dem blinderen	der blinderen	dem blinderen	den blinderen
	accusative	den blinderen	die blindere	das blindere	die blinderen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blinderer	eine blindere	ein blinderes	(keine) blinderen
	genitive	eines blinderen	einer blinderen	eines blinderen	(keiner) blinderen
	dative	einem blinderen	einer blinderen	einem blinderen	(keinen) blinderen
	accusative	einen blinderen	eine blindere	ein blinderes	(keine) blinderen

Superlative forms of blind

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am blindesten	sie ist am blindesten	es ist am blindesten	sie sind am blindesten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blindester	blindeste	blindestes	blindeste
	genitive	blindesten	blindester	blindesten	blindester
	dative	blindestem	blindester	blindestem	blindesten
	accusative	blindesten	blindeste	blindestes	blindeste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blindeste	die blindeste	das blindeste	die blindesten
	genitive	des blindesten	der blindesten	des blindesten	der blindesten
	dative	dem blindesten	der blindesten	dem blindesten	den blindesten
	accusative	den blindesten	die blindeste	das blindeste	die blindesten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blindester	eine blindeste	ein blindestes	(keine) blindesten
	genitive	eines blindesten	einer blindesten	eines blindesten	(keiner) blindesten
	dative	einem blindesten	einer blindesten	einem blindesten	(keinen) blindesten
	accusative	einen blindesten	eine blindeste	ein blindestes	(keine) blindesten

See also

• blenden

Further reading

• blind in Duden online

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German Low German

Etymology

Cognate to Dutch blind, German blind.

Adjective

blind (comparative blinner, superlative blinnst)

1. blind

Declension

Positive forms of blind

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		he is blind	se is blind	dat is blind	se sünd blind
partitive		een Blinns	een Blinns	wat Blinns	allens Blinn
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blinne	blinne	blind	blinne
	oblique	blinnen	blinne	blind	blinne
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	de blinne	de blinne	dat blinne	de blinnen
	oblique	den blinnen	de blinne	dat blinne	de blinnen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	en blinne	en blinne	en blind/blinnet	(keen) blinnen
	oblique	en blinnen	en blinne	en blind/blinnet	(keen) blinnen

Comparative forms of blind

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		he is blinner	se is blinner	dat is blinner	se sünd blinner
partitive		een blinners	een blinners	wat blinners	allens blinner
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blinnere	blinnere	blinner	blinnere
	oblique	blinnern	blinnere	blinner	blinnere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	de blinnere	de blinnere	dat blinnere	de blinnern
	oblique	den blinnern	de blinnere	dat blinnere	de blinnern
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	en blinnere	en blinnere	en blinner	(keen) blinnern
	oblique	en blinnern	en blinnere	en blinner	(keen) blinnern

Superlative forms of blind

gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		he is de Blinnste	se is de Blinnste	dat is dat Blinnste	se sünd de Blinnsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blinnste	blinnste	blinnst	blinnste
	oblique	blinnsten	blinnste	blinnst	blinnste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	de blinnste	de blinnste	dat blinnste	de blinnsten
	oblique	den blinnsten	de blinnste	dat blinnste	de blinnsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	en blinnste	en blinnste	en blinnst	(keen) blinnsten
	oblique	en blinnsten	en blinnste	en blinnst	(keen) blinnsten

Note: This declension is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

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Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind m, f (neuter blindt, plural blinde)

1. blind

Derived terms

• blindhet
• blindpassasjer
• blindvei

• døvblind
• fargeblind
• snøblind

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind m, f (neuter blindt, plural blinde)

1. blind

Derived terms

• blindpassasjer
• blindskap
• døvblind

• fargeblind
• snøblind

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Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Adjective

blind

1. blind

Declension

Positive forms of blind

Strong declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	blind	blinde	blind	blindu	blind	blinde
accusative	blindana	blinde	blinda	blindu	blind	blinde
genitive	blindes	blindarō	blindaro	blindarō	blindes	blindarō
dative	blindumu	blindum	blindaro	blindum	blindumu	blindum
Weak declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	blindo	blindu	blinda	blindu	blinda	blindu
accusative	blindun	blindun	blindun	blindun	blinda	blindun
genitive	blindun	blindonō	blindun	blindonō	blindun	blindonō
dative	blindun	blindum	blindun	blindum	blindun	blindum

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish blinder, from Old Norse blindr, from Proto-Germanic *blindaz.

Pronunciation

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Adjective

blind

1. blind; unable or failing to see

Declension

Inflection of blind
Indefinite/attributive	Positive	Comparative	Superlative2
Common singular	blind	blindare	blindast
Neuter singular	blint	blindare	blindast
Plural	blinda	blindare	blindast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular1	blinde	blindare	blindaste
All	blinda	blindare	blindaste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in an attributive role.

Derived terms

• blindgång
• blindgångare
• blindbock
• blindstyre
• färgblind