blister

[blis-ter]

noun

1. a thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, as from a burn or other injury.

2. any similar swelling, as an air bubble in a coat of paint.

3. a relatively large bubble occurring in glass during blowing.

4. Military.,  a transparent bulge or dome on the fuselage of an airplane, usually for mounting a gun.

5. Photography.,  a bubble of air formed where the emulsion has separated from the base of a film, as because of defective processing.

6. a dome or skylight on a building.

7. the moving bubble in a spirit level.

8. a small blisterlike covering of plastic, usually affixed to a piece of cardboard and containing a small item, as a pen, bolt, or medicinal tablet.

verb (used with object)

1. to raise a blister or blisters on.

   These new shoes blistered my feet.

2. to criticize or rebuke severely.

   The boss blistered his assistant in front of the whole office.

3. to beat or thrash; punish severely.

verb (used without object)

1. to form or rise as a blister or blisters; become blistered.

blister

/ ˈblɪstə /

noun

1. a small bubble-like elevation of the skin filled with serum, produced as a reaction to a burn, mechanical irritation, etc

2. a swelling containing air or liquid, as on a painted surface

3. a transparent dome or any bulge on the fuselage of an aircraft, such as one used for observation

4. slang,  an irritating person

5. slang,  a rebuke

verb

1. to have or cause to have blisters

2. (tr) to attack verbally with great scorn or sarcasm

Other Word Forms

• reblister verb
• unblistered adjective
• blistered adjective
• blistery adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blister¹

1250–1300; Middle English blister, blester < Old Norse blǣstri, dative of blāstr swelling. See blast, blow ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of blister¹

C13: from Old French blestre , probably from Middle Dutch bluyster blister; see _blast

Example Sentences

The tech giant’s cloud services have been growing at a blistering pace, with companies eager to host and train their artificial-intelligence models on Microsoft’s wide array of services.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That exit was followed by a blistering statement from major shareholder Dermot Desmond, who described Rodgers' actions while in the job as "divisive, misleading, and self-serving".

Read more on BBC

Norris though emerged top with a blistering effort, Piastri responding by going third until pushed back by Russell.

Read more on Barron's

Milei's approval numbers are down and his allies suffered a blistering rejection in bellwether provincial elections in Buenos Aires in September.

Read more on Barron's

His 1845 autobiography, a blistering tale of bondage in Maryland and a daring flight to freedom, remains one of history’s fiercest attacks on slavery.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abscess 
• cyst 
• pimple 
• sore 
• ulcer 
• welt