blenching

1 definition found

blenching - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Blench \Blench\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Blenched; p. pr. & vb. n.
     Blenching.] [OE. blenchen to blench, elude, deceive, AS.
     blencan to deceive; akin to Icel. blekkja to impose upon.
     Prop. a causative of blink to make to wink, to deceive. See
     Blink, and cf. 3d Blanch.]
     1. To shrink; to start back; to draw back, from lack of
        courage or resolution; to flinch; to quail.
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              Blench not at thy chosen lot.         --Bryant.
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              This painful, heroic task he undertook, and never
              blenched from its fulfillment.        --Jeffrey.
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     2. To fly off; to turn aside. [Obs.]
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              Though sometimes you do blench from this to that.
                                                    --Shak.
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