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

Half lemonade, half cold brew, this blend is one of those combinations your taste buds won’t be able to make sense of until they’ve tried it.

From Ozy

Rhodes and his colleagues are working with a manufacturer of coronavirus test kits to make the fiber wicks that siphon saliva samples into a blend of testing reagents.

From MIT Technology Review

While these A’s look similar to that group, maybe this time, with this blend, outcomes will be different.

From FiveThirtyEight

This will make the smallest number in the range red, the largest number green, and anything in between a blend.

From Search Engine Land

Proenza Schouler’s $100 masks come in materials such as a silk-viscose blend satin and a nylon-cotton gingham print, though both are sold out.

From Quartz

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

More About Blend

What is a basic definition of blend?

Blend means to mix together so thoroughly that things become inseparable. Blend is also the mixture made through this act. Blend can mean to harmonize or go well together. Blend has a few other senses as a verb and noun.

When two or more things are blended together, they have been combined so completely that it is impossible to separate them back out again. For example, you blend cocoa powder with milk to make chocolate milk. Turning that chocolate milk back into milk and cocoa powder is not going to happen. This sense of blend is a synonym of the word mix, although blend usually means to mix something especially thoroughly.

Something, such as a specialized kitchen appliance, that blends things is called a blender.

• Real-life examples: Smoothies are made by blending fruit with milk or yogurt. Different teas are blended together to make different flavors. The romantic comedy genre of movies blends the genres of romance and comedy together.
• Used in a sentence: She made a delicious banana smoothie by blending milk with bananas. 

Blend is used in this same sense a noun to refer to a mixture created by blending things together, literally or figuratively.

• Real-life examples: Starbucks offers many blends of coffee. There are many different blends of wine, such as Champagne and Chianti.
• Used in a sentence: The book was an odd blend of horror and history. 

Blend is also used as a verb to mean to go well together or harmonize. This sense usually refers to colors, such as a green chair blending with a green wall. This sense is also commonly phrased as “blend in” such as a chameleon turning brown to blend in with a tree or log. When related to harmony, blend often refers to how voices and instruments create a combined tone.

• Real-life examples: Usually, people like to get furniture that blends, or has a similar color or pattern, with wallpaper or carpeting because it makes a room look nicer. A person may prefer socks that blend with their pants. Most people try to blend in with the people around them rather than stick out and appear strange or different. A chorus practices hard to ensure their voices blend well.
• Used in a sentence: We tried to find a couch that blends with the color of our living room carpet.

Where does blend come from?

The first records of blend come from around 1200. It ultimately comes from the Old English verb blandan, meaning “to mix.” It is related to the Old High German blantan and Old Norse blanda.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to blend?

• blender (noun)
• nonblending (adjective, noun)
• reblend (verb)
• unblended (adjective)
• well-blended (adjective)

What are some synonyms for blend?

• mix
• combine
• mixture
• combination
• harmonize

What are some words that share a root or word element with blend? 

• blender
• blended family
• blended learning
• blended whiskey

What are some words that often get used in discussing blend?

• tea
• smoothie
• design
• fashion
• camouflage

How is blend used in real life?

Blend is a common word often used to refer to mixtures, especially of food or drink.

Today's experiment is what happens when you blend milk and biscuits

— Ryan Maguire (@maguiirree) March 31, 2014

Shoutout to the tea lady who mixed my favorite blend when I commented that they were out of it 😭💕

— eldritch being (@prismcell) July 25, 2019

I need coasters for my room… saw the cutest ones at Mr Price Home the other day but they didn't blend with my colour scheme

— Nonhlanhla (@uNonnie_) July 21, 2020

Try using blend!

Is blend used correctly in the following sentence?

The coin jar was filled with a blend of quarters and nickels.