■ adjective
1》 not marked or decorated; bare, empty, or plain.
2》 not comprehending or reacting: a ~ look.
3》 complete; absolute: a ~ refusal to discuss the issue.
4》 used euphemistically in place of an obscene word.
■ noun
1》 a space left to be filled in a document.
2》 (also ~ cartridge ) a cartridge containing gunpowder but no bullet.
3》 an empty space or period of time: my mind was a total ~.
4》 an object with no mark or design on it, in particular a roughly cut disc or block intended for stamping or finishing.
5》 a dash written instead of a word or letter, especially to avoid using an obscene word.
■ verb
1》 make ~ or empty.
2》 Brit. informal deliberately ignore (someone).
3》 N. Amer. defeat without allowing the opponent to score.
4》 cut (a metal ~).
Phrases
draw a ~ elicit no successful response.
Derivatives
~ly adverb
~ness noun
Origin
ME (in the sense 'white, colourless'): from OFr. blanc 'white', ult. of Gmc origin.