blend

[ blend ]

verb (used with object)

, blend·ed or (Literary) blent, blend·ing.

1. to mix smoothly and inseparably together:

   to blend the ingredients in a recipe.

   Synonyms: mingle, compound, unite, amalgamate, combine, commingle

   Antonyms: separate

2. to mix (various sorts or grades) in order to obtain a particular kind or quality:

   Blend a little red paint with the blue paint.

3. to prepare by such mixture:

   This tea is blended by mixing chamomile with pekoe.

4. Phonetics. to pronounce (an utterance) as a combined sequence of sounds.

verb (used without object)

, blend·ed or (Literary) blent, blend·ing.

1. to mix or intermingle smoothly and inseparably:

   I can't get the eggs and cream to blend.

   Synonyms: coalesce, unite, amalgamate, combine, commingle, mingle

   Antonyms: separate

2. to fit or relate harmoniously; accord; go:

   The brown sofa did not blend with the purple wall.

3. to have no perceptible separation:

   Sea and sky seemed to blend.

noun

1. an act or manner of blending:

   tea of our own blend.

   Synonyms: amalgamation, combination

2. a mixture or kind produced by blending:

   a special blend of rye and wheat flours.

   Synonyms: amalgamation, combination

3. Linguistics. a word made by putting together parts of other words, as motel, made from motor and hotel, brunch, from breakfast and lunch, or guesstimate, from guess and estimate.
4. Phonetics. a sequence of two or more consonant sounds within a syllable, as the bl in blend; consonant cluster.

verb phrase

1. to escape attention by looking or acting like other members of a group or like the surrounding environment: salamanders that blend in with mossy surfaces.

   tourists who try to blend in with the locals;

   salamanders that blend in with mossy surfaces.

blend

/ blɛnd /

verb

1. to mix or mingle (components) together thoroughly
2. tr to mix (different grades or varieties of tea, whisky, tobacco, etc) to produce a particular flavour, consistency, etc
3. intr to look good together; harmonize
4. intr (esp of colours) to shade imperceptibly into each other

noun

1. a mixture or type produced by blending
2. the act of blending
3. Also calledportmanteau word a word formed by joining together the beginning and the end of two other words

   "brunch" is a blend of "breakfast" and "lunch"

Other Words From

• non·blended adjective
• non·blending adjective noun
• re·blend verb reblended or reblent reblending
• un·blended adjective
• well-blended adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blend¹

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English blenden (the first e not satisfactorily explained) “to mix”; akin to Old English blandan “to mix”; cognate with or partially derived from the Old Norse verb blanda (from the present stem blend- ), Old High German blantan “to mix”

Word History and Origins

Origin of blend¹

Old English blandan ; related to blendan to deceive, Old Norse blanda , Old High German blantan

Synonym Study

See mix.

Example Sentences

There are a lot of people who go back and forth now and blend both approaches into their work.

From The Daily Beast

The group seems to blend “black bloc” anarchist street violence with social-media campaigns.

From The Daily Beast

It was the perfect blend of exotic adventure and Lonely Planet guidebook assurances of safety.

From The Daily Beast

Other times, the traffickers tried to blend in with the migrants and refugees.

From The Daily Beast

The most engaging essayists and historians can seamlessly blend the personal and the political.

From The Daily Beast

The door to the back room opened, letting through a blend of talk and small mechanical noises.

From Project Gutenberg

The colors must also be carefully arranged, so as to blend or harmonize with each other.

From Project Gutenberg

He'll tell ye that th' on'y readin' is Doctor Eliot's cillybrated old blend an' he'll talk larnedly about th' varyous vintages.

From Project Gutenberg

The possibility that unidentified types may have contributed to the Semitic blend, however, remains.

From Project Gutenberg

Further, granting the distinctness of the genera, can we grant that the individuals blend?

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• amalgam
• brew
• combination
• concoction
• fusion
• mixture
• synthesis