blister

[ blis-ter ]

/ ˈblɪs tər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR blister ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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

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

a relatively large bubble occurring in glass during blowing.

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

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

a dome or skylight on a building.

the moving bubble in a spirit level.

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)

to raise a blister or blisters on: These new shoes blistered my feet.

to criticize or rebuke severely: The boss blistered his assistant in front of the whole office.

to beat or thrash; punish severely.

verb (used without object)

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

Nearby words

blipping, blipvert, bliss, bliss out, blissful, blister, blister beetle, blister copper, blister gas, blister pack, blister rust

Origin of blister

1250–1300; Middle English blister, blester < Old Norse blǣstri, dative of blāstr swelling. See blast, blow²

Related forms

re·blis·ter, verbun·blis·tered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for blistered

Photographs leaked from inside Zeinhom morgue show charred and blistered bodies strewn on the floor.
Egypt Targets ‘Terrorists’ in Ongoing Violence|Sophia Jones|August 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Dot herself hated working the pump—it blistered her little hands.
An Australian Lassie|Lilian Turner
He at once blistered a hole in each side of my knee, and applied sedatives.
Fifteen Years in Hell|Luther Benson
The buggy had pulled up close to a rough, broken, blistered cone of stuff between ten and twenty feet high.
From Sea to Sea|Rudyard Kipling

His back grew lame, his arms sore, his hands raw and blistered.
The Day of the Beast|Zane Grey
In such cases the coronet should be blistered or even fired with the actual cautery, and the patient turned to pasture.
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse|United States Department of Agriculture

British Dictionary definitions for blistered

blister

/ (ˈblɪstə) /

noun

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

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

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

slang an irritating person

NZ slang a rebuke

verb

to have or cause to have blisters

(tr) to attack verbally with great scorn or sarcasm

Derived Forms

blistered, adjectiveblistery, adjective

Word Origin for blister

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for blistered

blister

[ blĭs′tər ]

n.

A local swelling of the skin that contains watery fluid and is caused by burning, infection, or irritation.

blister

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of blister

Related forms

Examples from the Web for blistered

British Dictionary definitions for blistered

blister

noun

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for blister

Medicine definitions for blistered

blister

n.