Blank \Blank\, a. [OE. blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, fr. F.
blanc, fem. blanche, fr. OHG. blanch shining, bright, white,
G. blank; akin to E. blink, cf. also AS. blanc white. ?98.
See Blink, and cf. 1st Blanch.]
1. Of a white or pale color; without color.
To the blank moon Her office they prescribed.
--Milton.
2. Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty
space to be filled in with some special writing; -- said
of checks, official documents, etc.; as, blank paper; a
blank check; a blank ballot.
3. Utterly confounded or discomfited.
Adam . . . astonied stood, and blank. --Milton.
4. Empty; void; without result; fruitless; as, a blank space;
a blank day.
5. Lacking characteristics which give variety; as, a blank
desert; a blank wall; destitute of interests, affections,
hopes, etc.; as, to live a blank existence; destitute of
sensations; as, blank unconsciousness.
6. Lacking animation and intelligence, or their associated
characteristics, as expression of face, look, etc.;
expressionless; vacant. ``Blank and horror-stricken
faces.'' --C. Kingsley.
The blank . . . glance of a half returned
consciousness. --G. Eliot.
7. Absolute; downright; unmixed; as, blank terror.
Blank bar (Law), a plea put in to oblige the plaintiff in
an action of trespass to assign the certain place where
the trespass was committed; -- called also common bar.
Blank cartridge, a cartridge containing no ball.
Blank deed. See Deed.
Blank door, or Blank window (Arch.), a depression in a
wall of the size of a door or window, either for
symmetrical effect, or for the more convenient insertion
of a door or window at a future time, should it be needed.
Blank indorsement (Law), an indorsement which omits the
name of the person in whose favor it is made; it is
usually made by simply writing the name of the indorser on
the back of the bill.
Blank line (Print.), a vacant space of the breadth of a
line, on a printed page; a line of quadrats.
Blank tire (Mech.), a tire without a flange.
Blank tooling. See Blind tooling, under Blind.
Blank verse. See under Verse.
Blank wall, a wall in which there is no opening; a dead
wall.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) |