I. ˈbliŋkə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: blink (I) + -er
1. : one that blinks: as
a. archaic : coquette
b. : a sporting dog that refuses to see and point game or to hold to a point and flush his game
c.
(1) : a device consisting essentially of a light that can be flashed on and off regularly as a warning (as at a railway crossing)
(2) : a traffic light arranged to blink rather than show a color for a sustained period
d.
(1) : a device consisting essentially of a light that can be flashed on and off in a sequence of coded intervals for signaling a message (as from ship to ship)
(2) : a message sent by means of a blinker
2.
a.
(1) : blinder 1
(2) : a cloth hood with shades projecting at the sides of the eye openings used on skittish racehorses — usually used in plural
b. : something that impairs mental or moral perception
3. also blink : a young or undersized mackerel smaller than a tinker
II. transitive verb
( blinkered ; blinkered ; blinkering ˈbliŋk(ə)riŋ ; blinkers )
1. : to put blinders or blinkers on
they blinkered themselves against the facts
specifically : hoodwink
a person ill-equipped for his task, blinkered as he is by long association with partisan groups
2. : to send (a message) by means of a blinker
blinkered a breakfast invitation from shore — Newsweek