1. [n]  something that keeps things out or hinders sight; "they had just moved in and had not put up blinds yet"
2. [n]  a hiding place sometimes used by hunters (especially duck hunters); "he waited impatiently in the blind"
3. [n]  something intended to misrepresent the true nature of an activity; "he wasn't sick--it was just a subterfuge"; "the holding company was just a blind"
4. [n]  people who have severe visual impairments; "he spent hours reading to the blind"
5. [adj]  unable or unwilling to perceive or understand; "blind to a lover's faults"; "blind to the consequences of their actions"
6. [adj]  not based on reason or evidence; "blind hatred"; "blind faith"; "unreasoning panic"
7. [adj]  unable to see
8. [v]  make dim by comparison or conceal
9. [v]  make blind by putting the eyes out; "The criminals were punished and blinded"
10. [v]  render unable to see

1. \Blind\, a. [AS.; akin to D., G., OS., Sw., & Dan. blind,
   Icel. blindr, Goth. blinds; of uncertain origin.]
   1. Destitute of the sense of seeing, either by natural defect
      or by deprivation; without sight.
            He that is strucken blind can not forget The
            precious treasure of his eyesight lost. --Shak.
   2. Not having the faculty of discernment; destitute of
      intellectual light; unable or unwilling to understand or
      judge; as, authors are blind to their own defects.
            But hard be hardened, blind be blinded more, That
            they may stumble on, and deeper fall. --Milton.
   3. Undiscerning; undiscriminating; inconsiderate.
            This plan is recommended neither to blind
            approbation nor to blind reprobation. --Jay.
   4. Having such a state or condition as a thing would have to
      a person who is blind; not well marked or easily
      discernible; hidden; unseen; concealed; as, a blind path;
      a blind ditch.
   5. Involved; intricate; not easily followed or traced.
            The blind mazes of this tangled wood. --Milton.
   6. Having no openings for light or passage; as, a blind wall;
      open only at one end; as, a blind alley; a blind gut.
   7. Unintelligible, or not easily intelligible; as, a blind
      passage in a book; illegible; as, blind writing.
   8. (Hort.) Abortive; failing to produce flowers or fruit; as,
      blind buds; blind flowers.
   {Blind alley}, an alley closed at one end; a cul-de-sac.
   {Blind axle}, an axle which turns but does not communicate
      motion. --Knight.
   {Blind beetle}, one of the insects apt to fly against people,
      esp. at night.
   {Blind cat} (Zo["o]l.), a species of catfish ({Gronias
      nigrolabris}), nearly destitute of eyes, living in caverns
      in Pennsylvania.
   {Blind coal}, coal that burns without flame; anthracite coal.
      --Simmonds.
   {Blind door}, {Blind window}, an imitation of a door or
      window, without an opening for passage or light. See
      {Blank door or window}, under {Blank}, a.
   {Blind level} (Mining), a level or drainage gallery which has
      a vertical shaft at each end, and acts as an inverted
      siphon. --Knight.
   {Blind nettle} (Bot.), dead nettle. See {Dead nettle}, under
      {Dead}.
   {Blind shell} (Gunnery), a shell containing no charge, or one
      that does not explode.
   {Blind side}, the side which is most easily assailed; a weak
      or unguarded side; the side on which one is least able or
      disposed to see danger. --Swift.
   {Blind snake} (Zo["o]l.), a small, harmless, burrowing snake,
      of the family {Typhlopid[ae]}, with rudimentary eyes.
   {Blind spot} (Anat.), the point in the retina of the eye
      where the optic nerve enters, and which is insensible to
      light.
   {Blind tooling}, in bookbinding and leather work, the
      indented impression of heated tools, without gilding; --
      called also {blank tooling}, and {blind blocking}.
   {Blind wall}, a wall without an opening; a blank wall.
   

2. \Blind\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blinded}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Blinding}.]
   1. To make blind; to deprive of sight or discernment. ``To
      blind the truth and me.'' --Tennyson.
            A blind guide is certainly a great mischief; but a
            guide that blinds those whom he should lead is . . .
            a much greater.                       --South.
   2. To deprive partially of vision; to make vision difficult
      for and painful to; to dazzle.
            Her beauty all the rest did blind.    --P. Fletcher.
   3. To darken; to obscure to the eye or understanding; to
      conceal; to deceive.
            Such darkness blinds the sky.         --Dryden.
            The state of the controversy between us he
            endeavored, with all his art, to blind and confound.
                                                  --Stillingfleet.
   4. To cover with a thin coating of sand and fine gravel; as a
      road newly paved, in order that the joints between the
      stones may be filled.
   

3. \Blind\, n.
   1. Something to hinder sight or keep out light; a screen; a
      cover; esp. a hinged screen or shutter for a window; a
      blinder for a horse.
   2. Something to mislead the eye or the understanding, or to
      conceal some covert deed or design; a subterfuge.
   3. [Cf. F. blindes, p?., fr. G. blende, fr. blenden to blind,
      fr. blind blind.] (Mil.) A blindage. See {Blindage}.
   4. A halting place. [Obs.] --Dryden.
   

4. \Blind\, Blinde \Blinde\, n.
   See {Blende}.
   

Blind beggars are frequently mentioned (Matt. 9:27; 12:22; 20:30; John 5:3). The blind are to be treated with compassion (Lev. 19:14; Deut. 27:18). Blindness was sometimes a punishment for disobedience (1 Sam. 11:2; Jer. 39:7), sometimes the effect of old age (Gen. 27:1; 1 Kings 14:4; 1 Sam. 4:15). Conquerors sometimes blinded their captives (2 Kings 25:7; 1 Sam. 11:2). Blindness denotes ignorance as to spiritual things (Isa. 6:10; 42:18, 19; Matt. 15:14; Eph. 4:18). The opening of the eyes of the blind is peculiar to the Messiah (Isa. 29:18). Elymas was smitten with blindness at Paul's word (Acts 13:11).