blend
v. · n.-
1 to mix together (v.) B1 Intermediate Cookingto mix two or more things together so they become one smooth substance.
to combine different substances or elements into a single, uniform whole. Often used with 'together' or 'with'.
ExampleYou should blend the fruit and yogurt until the mixture is smooth.
ExampleThe chef demonstrated how to blend the chilled butter into the flour without overworking the dough, ensuring a flaky crust.
UsageOften used as a transitive verb taking a direct object.
-
2 to match or fit in (v.) B2 Upper Intermediateto look good together or to hide by looking like the things around you.
to harmonize or be visually indistinguishable from the surrounding environment.
ExampleThe new curtains blend perfectly with the color of the walls.
ExampleThe modern extension was designed to blend seamlessly with the original Victorian brickwork, maintaining the street's historical character.
UsageCommonly used with the preposition 'with' or 'into'.
- harmonize
- match
- complement
- clash
- stand out
Show 2 more sensesShow fewer
-
3 a mixture (n.) B1 Intermediatea mix of different types of the same thing, like coffee beans or tea leaves.
a product or substance made by combining different varieties or qualities of a specific item.
ExampleThis special blend of coffee is made from beans grown in three different countries.
ExampleThe perfumer created a unique blend of floral and woody notes, resulting in a sophisticated fragrance that changed throughout the day.
-
4 combined word (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Linguisticsa word made by joining parts of two other words together.
a word formed by merging the sounds and meanings of two or more other words; also known as a portmanteau.
ExampleThe word 'brunch' is a blend of 'breakfast' and 'lunch'.
ExampleLinguistic blends like 'smog' or 'motel' demonstrate how morphological boundaries can be blurred to create concise new terminology.
From Middle English blenden, either from Old English blandan, blondan, ġeblandan, ġeblendan or from Old Norse blanda (“to blend, mix”) (which was originally a strong verb with the present-tense stem blend; compare blendingr (“a blending, a mixture; a half-breed”)), whence also Danish blande, or from a blend of the Old English and Old Norse terms; both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *blandaną (“to blend; mix; combine”). Compare Middle Dutch blanden (“to mix”), Gothic 𐌱𐌻𐌰𐌽𐌳𐌰𐌽 (blandan), Old Church Slavonic блєсти (blesti, “to go astray”).