blank

blank¹ S3 [blæŋk] adj

[Date: 1200-1300; : Old French; Origin: blanc; BLANCH]

1.) without any writing, print, or recorded sound

▪ Leave the last page blank .

▪ a blank cassette

2.) a blank face or look shows no emotion, understanding, or interest

→↑blankly

blank face/look/expression/eyes

▪ Zoe looked at me with a blank expression.

▪ She gazed at him in blank astonishment.

3.) go blank

a) if your mind goes blank, or if you go blank, you are suddenly unable to remember something

▪ My heart began to race and my mind went blank.

b) to stop showing any images, writing etc

▪ Suddenly the screen went blank.

>blankness n [U]

→↑blank verse

blank ²

blank² n

1.) an empty space on a piece of paper, where you are supposed to write a word or letter

▪ When you've filled in the blanks , hand the form back to me.

2.) my mind's a blank

spoken used to say that you cannot remember something

▪ I'm trying to think of his name, but my mind's a complete blank.

3.) a ↑cartridge (=container for a bullet in a gun) that contains an explosive but no bullet

▪ Soldiers fired blanks into the crowd.

→draw a blank at ↑draw¹ (32)

blank ³

blank³ v

1.) also blank out [i]informal

if you blank, or if your mind blanks, you are suddenly unable to remember something

▪ I just blanked in the oral exam.

2.) [T] BrE informal to ignore someone who you would usually greet or speak to

▪ Last time I saw Mike Adams he completely blanked me.

blank out [blank sth<=>out] phr v

1.) to cover something so that it cannot be seen

▪ The actual names had been blanked out.

2.) to completely forget something, especially deliberately

▪ I tried to blank out everything he had said.