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Purblind

//ˈpɜːblaɪnd// adj, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective

1
Of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind; dim-sighted. literary
"Thy dignitie or autorite, wherin thou onely differest from other, is (as it were) but a weighty or heuy cloke, fresshely gliteringe in the eyen of them that be poreblynde, where unto the it is paynefull, if thou weare hym in his right facion, and as it shal best become the."
2
Of the eyes: unable to see well, especially due to old age; weak. literary
3
Of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding; dim-witted, unintelligent. figuratively, literary
"Yet did my Breſt that glorious fire incloſe, / VVhich their dull purblind Ignorance not ſavv, […]"
4
Of a place: poorly illuminated; dark, dim. figuratively, literary
5
Completely blind. literary, obsolete
"Speake to my goſhip Venus one faire vvord, / One nickname for her purblind ſonne and her, / Young Abraham: Cupid he that ſhot ſo true, / VVhen King Cophetua lou'd the beger mayd."

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6
Having one eye blind. literary, obsolete
"The French haue a good Prouerbe. Entre les auengles, les borgnes ſont les Roys: Among the blinde, the pore blind are the Kings. And thus they vvhich haue no skill in tongues, vvill boldly ſay, that this or that man doth perfectly, and vvithout ſtamering, ſpeake many tongs."
7
Near-sighted, short-sighted; myopic. literary, obsolete
"The man that is pore blinde, cannot ſee far from hym. And as to ioke on deth we be for the moſt part pore blinde all yͭ mayny: for we cannot ſee hym til he cõe [come] very nere vs. But theſe folk be not pore blynde but ſtarke blynde: for they cãnot ſee him when he commeth ſo nere, yͭ hee putteth almoſte his finger in theyr eye."
8
Far-sighted, long-sighted; hypermetropic. literary, obsolete, rare

Adjective

1
lacking in insight or discernment wordnet
2
having greatly reduced vision wordnet

Noun

1
A person who has impaired vision or is partially blind. literary
"If the miraculous Blood fails of diſſolving at its Approach to the miraculous Head, the vviſe Neapolitans look on it as an Omen of ſome more grievous Judgmt. than our Foreſighted Purblinds do of a Salt's Overthrovv on Table; but vvhen it benignly liquifies 'tis then a ſure Token of heavenly Favour, and the Able Pious ſurely make rich Offerings accordingly."

Verb

1
To cause (someone) to have impaired vision or become partially blind. literary, transitive
"And may the Sun, that novv begins t'appear / I'th Horizon to uſher in the year, / Melt all thoſe fatuous Vapours, vvhoſe falſe light / Purblinds the VVorld, and leads them from the right; […]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

The adjective is derived from Middle English purblind (“(adjective) completely blind; blind in one eye; near-sighted; (noun) near-sighted animal, specifically a hare”) [and other forms], possibly from pur, pure (“completely, entirely”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to be clean; pure”); influenced by pur- (prefix meaning ‘completely; forward; in advance’)) + blind (“sightless, blind”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlendʰ- (“to blend, mix up; to make cloudy or opaque”)). Adjective sense 4.1 (“completely blind”) was the original sense. The senses denoting partial blindness are possibly the result of confusion of the first element pur- with poor, perhaps through folk etymology. (Compare parboil regarding per versus pars.) The noun and verb are derived from the adjective.

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

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