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blate1

[bleyt]
adjective Chiefly Scot.
  1. bashful; shy.
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Origin of blate1

before 1000; Old English blāt livid, pallid, (of a sound) low (not found in ME)
Related formsblate·ly, adverbblate·ness, noun

blate2

[bleyt]Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.
verb (used without object), blat·ed, blat·ing.
  1. bleat.
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noun
  1. bleat(def 4).
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Origin of blate2

1855–60; perhaps dialectal variant of bleat (cf. great)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for blate

Historical Examples

  • But at no time was the genial little poet "blate," as he would himself have said.

    Royal Edinburgh

    Margaret Oliphant

  • But gin that wasna a quean, ye canna deny but she luikit unco like ane, and no a blate (bashful) ane eyther.'

    Robert Falconer

    George MacDonald

  • Grant was by no means "blate" in availing himself of the hint, but the Shaws were tough fighters.

  • "Faith, and you are not blate," said she whimsically, but indifferent to remove herself from a grasp so innocent.

  • We're no blate at askin' the lawin', although some folk are unco' slow at payin' o't. It's just four-and-six.

    Scotch Wit and Humor

    W. H. (Walter Henry) Howe