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blank (blăngk) Share: Tweet adj. blank·er, blank·est 1. a. Devoid of writing, images, or marks: a blank wall; a blank screen. b. Containing no information; unrecorded or erased: a blank tape; a blank diskette. See Synonyms at empty. c. Having spaces for information to be provided; not completed or filled in: a blank questionnaire. 2. Not having received final processing; unfinished: a blank key. 3. a. Devoid of thought or impression: a blank mind. b. Showing no expression, interest, or understanding; expressionless: a blank stare. 4. Devoid of activity or distinctive character; empty: tried to fill the blank hours of the day. 5. Absolute; complete: a blank refusal. n. 1. a. An empty space or place, especially an empty space on a document to be filled in. b. A document with one or more such spaces. 2. a. Something without information or thought: When I read that question on the test, my mind was a blank. b. Something showing no expression or understanding: When he told his mother what happened, her face was a blank. 3. A manufactured article of a standard shape or form that is ready for final processing, as by stamping or cutting: a key blank. 4. A blank cartridge. 5. Something worthless, such as a losing lottery ticket. 6. A mark, usually a dash (—), indicating the omission of a word or of a letter or letters. 7. The white circle in the center of a target; a bull's-eye. 8. Games An unmarked piece or portion of a piece, as a domino tile, whose value may be determined by the holder. v. blanked, blank·ing, blanks v.tr. 1. To remove, as from view; obliterate: "At times the strong glare of the sun blanked it from sight" (Richard Wright). 2. To block access to: blank off a subway tunnel. 3. Sports To prevent (an opponent) from scoring. 4. To punch or stamp from flat stock, especially with a die. v.intr. 1. To become abstracted. Often used with out: My mind blanked out for a few seconds. 2. To fail to find or remember something: I blanked when asked the name of our mayor. 3. To fade away: The music gradually blanked out. [Middle English, white, having spaces to be filled in, from Old French blanc, white, of Germanic origin; see bhel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] blankly adv. blankness n.

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# Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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