blank

[ blangk ]

/ blæŋk /

adjective, blank·er, blank·est.

(of paper or other writing surface) having no marks; not written or printed on: a blank sheet of paper.

not filled in, as a printed form: a blank check.

unrelieved or unbroken by ornament, opening, decoration, etc.: a blank wall.

lacking some usual or completing feature: a blank roll of film.

(of a recording medium) containing no previously recorded information: a blank videocassette; a blank floppy disk. Compare prerecorded.

void of interest, variety, results, etc.: She sometimes occupied her blank days reading detective stories.

showing no attention, interest, or emotion: a blank expression on his face.

disconcerted; nonplussed; speechless: He looked blank when I asked him why he applied for the job.

complete; utter; unmitigated: blank stupidity.

Archaic. white; pale; colorless.

noun

a place where something is lacking; an empty space: a blank in one's memory.

a space in a printed form, test, etc., to be filled in: Write your name in the blank.

a printed form containing such spaces: Have you filled out one of these blanks?

a dash put in place of an omitted letter, series of letters, etc., especially to avoid writing a word considered profane or obscene.

Metalworking. a piece of metal ready to be drawn, pressed, or machined into a finished object.

Archery. the bull's-eye.

the object toward which anything is directed; aim; target.

blank cartridge.

verb (used with object)

to cross out or delete, especially in order to invalidate or void (usually followed by out): to blank out an entry.

Informal. to keep (an opponent) from scoring in a game.

Metalworking. to stamp or punch out of flat stock, as with a die.

Idioms for blank

draw a blank,

to fail in an attempt; be unsuccessful: We've drawn a blank in the investigation.
to fail to comprehend or be unable to recollect: He asked me their phone number and I drew a blank.

Origin of blank

1300–50; Middle English (noun and adj.) < Anglo-French, French blanc (adj.) < Germanic; compare Old English blanca white horse, Old High German blanch bright, white

SYNONYMS FOR blank

1–4 See empty.

8 dumfounded, confused, astounded.

9 pure, simple, unadulterated; perfect, absolute, unqualified.

11 void, vacancy, emptiness; gap, lacuna, hiatus.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR blank ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM blank

blank·ness, noun

Words nearby blank

bland out, bland-allison act, blandish, blandishment, blandishments, blank, blank cartridge, blank check, blank cheque, blank endorsement, blank shell

Example sentences from the Web for blank

Tonn and Blank Construction An Indiana construction company.

The 26 Next Hobby Lobbys |Abby Haglage |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In the case of Steven Eugene Washington, nothing more than a blank stare made him a target for police bullets.

Worse Than Eric Garner: Cops Who Got Away With Killing Autistic Men and Little Girls |Emily Shire |December 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
I was in front of him trying to talk him out of it but he was just looking at me with a blank stare on his face.

The Porn Party Where War Machine Went Ballistic |Aurora Snow |August 20, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Listening to Creed is perhaps his way of saying, “Forget everything you think you know about music, and start with a blank slate.”

Jenny Lewis on 'The Voyager,' the End of Rilo Kiley, and High School Classmate Angelina Jolie |Marlow Stern |August 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

A young officer loaded the rifles of the 12-man firing squad each with a single bullet, one of them a blank.

The Last American Soldier Executed for Desertion |Michael Daly |June 6, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
We may even say that these fits of incapacity and blank despondency are part of the cost of all creative work.

Adventures in Criticism |Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
In this passage it would seem that he could not make up his mind and left a blank accordingly.

The Works of William Shakespeare [Cambridge Edition] [Vol. 7 of 9] |William Shakespeare
I suppose a blank or a dash rather fends a good many people off—because it always has that effect upon me.

The Letters of Charles Dickens |Charles Dickens
Ah Fe, without removing his eyes from blank vacancy, saw that both Mrs. Tretherick and Carry were poorly dressed.

Tales of the Argonauts |Bret Harte
It would seem as if the celestial army had been supplied with blank cartridges.

A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century |Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke

British Dictionary definitions for blank

blank

/ (blæŋk) /

adjective

(of a writing surface) bearing no marks; not written on

(of a form, etc) with spaces left for details to be filled in

without ornament or break; unrelieved a blank wall

not filled in; empty; void a blank space

exhibiting no interest or expression a blank look

lacking understanding; confused he looked blank even after the explanations

absolute; complete blank rejection

devoid of ideas or inspiration his mind went blank in the exam

unproductive; barren

noun

an emptiness; void; blank space

an empty space for writing in, as on a printed form

a printed form containing such empty spaces

something characterized by incomprehension or mental confusion my mind went a complete blank

a mark, often a dash, in place of a word, esp a taboo word

short for blank cartridge

a plate or plug used to seal an aperture

a piece of material prepared for stamping, punching, forging, etc

archery the white spot in the centre of a target

draw a blank

to choose a lottery ticket that fails to win
to get no results from something

verb (tr)

(usually foll by out) to cross out, blot, or obscure

slang to ignore or be unresponsive towards (someone) the crowd blanked her for the first four numbers

to forge, stamp, punch, or cut (a piece of material) in preparation for forging, die-stamping, or drawing operations

(often foll by off) to seal (an aperture) with a plate or plug

US and Canadian informal to prevent (an opponent) from scoring in a game

Derived forms of blank

blankly, adverb blankness, noun

Word Origin for blank

C15: from Old French blanc white, of Germanic origin; related to Old English blanca a white horse

Idioms and Phrases with blank

blank

In addition to the idiom beginning with blank

blank check

also see:

draw a blank
fill in (the blanks)

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

blank

adjective, blank·er, blank·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

Idioms for blank

Origin of blank

SYNONYMS FOR blank

OTHER WORDS FROM blank

Words nearby blank

Example sentences from the Web for blank

British Dictionary definitions for blank

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of blank

Word Origin for blank

Idioms and Phrases with blank

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

blank

adjective, blank·er, blank·est.

noun

verb (used with object)

Idioms for blank

Origin of blank

SYNONYMS FOR blank

OTHER WORDS FROM blank

Words nearby blank

Words related to blank

Example sentences from the Web for blank

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for blank

adjective

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of blank

Word Origin for blank

Idioms and Phrases with blank

British Dictionary definitions for blank