Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Blur

Blur

(blûr)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Blurred
(blûrd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Blurring
.]
[Prob. of same origin as
blear
. See
Blear
.]
1.
To render obscure by making the form or outline of confused and uncertain, as by soiling; to smear; to make indistinct and confused;
as, to
blur
manuscript by handling it while damp; to
blur
the impression of a woodcut by an excess of ink
.
But time hath nothing
blurred
those lines of favor
Which then he wore.
Shakespeare
2.
To cause imperfection of vision in; to dim; to darken.
Her eyes are
blurred
with the lightning’s glare.
J. R. Drake.
3.
To sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
Sarcasms may eclipse thine own,
But can not
blur
my lost renown.
Hudibras.
Syn. – To spot; blot; disfigure; stain; sully.

Blur

(blûr)
,
Noun.
1.
That which obscures without effacing; a stain; a blot, as upon paper or other substance.
As for those who cleanse
blurs
with blotted fingers, they make it worse.
Fuller.
2.
A dim, confused appearance; indistinctness of vision;
as, to see things with a
blur
; it was all
blur
.
3.
A moral stain or blot.
Lest she . . . will with her railing set a great
blur
on mine honesty and good name.
Udall.

Webster 1828 Edition


Blur

BLUR

,
Noun.
[L.luridus.] A dark spot; a stain; a blot, whether upon paper or other substance, or upon reputation.

BLUR

,
Verb.
T.
To obscure by a dark spot, or by any foul matter, without quite effacing.
1.
To sully; to stain; to blemish; as, to blur reputation.

Definition 2024


blur

blur

English

Blur from extended photographic time exposure

Verb

blur (third-person singular simple present blurs, present participle blurring, simple past and past participle blurred)

  1. To make indistinct or hazy, to obscure or dim.
    to blur a photograph by moving the camera while taking it
  2. To smear, stain or smudge.
    to blur a manuscript by handling it while damp
  3. (intransitive) To become indistinct.
  4. To cause imperfection of vision in; to dim; to darken.
    • J. R. Drake
      Her eyes are blurred with the lightning's glare.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To sully; to stain; to blemish, as reputation.
    • Hudibras
      Sarcasms may eclipse thine own, / But cannot blur my lost renown.
  6. (computing, graphical user interface, transitive) To transfer the input focus away from.
    • John Pollock, JavaScript: A Beginner's Guide, Second Edition (page 175)
      Then give this box focus to blur the first one: []
    • 2001, Martin Webb, ‎Michel Plungjan, ‎Keith Drakard, Instant JavaScript (page 678)
      These form elements need to have an onFocus event handler to blur the current focus.
    • 2007, Danny Goodman, JavaScript Bible (page 273)
      Blurring one window and focusing on another window yields the same result of sending the window to the back of the pile.
    • 2010, Chuck Easttom, Advanced Javascript (page 329)
      A manual way to blur a text object is to press the Tab key, which advances focus to the next field in order and removes it from the current field (blurring it).

Antonyms

Translations

Noun

blur (plural blurs)

  1. A smear, smudge or blot
  2. Something that appears hazy or indistinct
    • 1907, Harold Bindloss, chapter 26, in The Dust of Conflict:
      Maccario, it was evident, did not care to take the risk of blundering upon a picket, and a man led them by twisting paths until at last the hacienda rose blackly before them. Appleby could see it dimly, a blur of shadowy buildings with the ridge of roof parapet alone cutting hard and sharp against the clearing sky.
    • 2012 June 29, Kevin Mitchell, “Roger Federer back from Wimbledon 2012 brink to beat Julien Benneteau”, in the Guardian:
      The fightback when it came was in the Federer fashion: unfussy, filled with classy strokes from the back with perfectly timed interventions at the net that confounded his opponent. The third set passed in a bit of a blur, the fourth, which led to the second tie-break, was the most dramatic of the match.
  3. (obsolete) A moral stain or blot.
    • Udall
      Lest she [] will with her railing set a great blur on mine honesty and good name.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

blur (comparative more blur, superlative most blur)

  1. (Malaysia, Singapore, informal) In a state of doubt or confusion.

Anagrams