Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To cover the eyes of with or as if with a bandage.
  • transitive verb To prevent from seeing and especially from comprehending.
  • noun A bandage to cover the eyes.
  • noun Something that serves to obscure clear perception.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having the eyes covered or bandaged, so as to be unable to see.
  • Having the mental eye darkened; hence, rash; inconsiderate; without foresight: as, “blindfold fury,”
  • Obscure; dark.
  • To strike blind; to blind.
  • To cover the eyes of; hinder from seeing by covering the eyes.
  • noun A disguise; a ruse; a blind. See blind, n., 2.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Having the eyes covered; blinded; having the mental eye darkened. Hence: Heedless; reckless.
  • transitive verb To cover the eyes of, as with a bandage; to hinder from seeing.
  • noun a flexible object placed over the eyes to prevent seeing; usually a strip of cloth wrapped around the head so as to cover the eyes.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A covering, usually a bandage, for the eyes, blocking light to the eyes.
  • noun Something that obscures vision (literally or metaphorically).
  • verb To cover the eyes, in order to make someone unable to see.
  • verb To obscure understanding or comprehension.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective wearing a blindfold
  • verb cover the eyes of (someone) to prevent him from seeing
  • noun a cloth used to cover the eyes

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English blindfolde, past participle of blindfellen, to strike blind, cover the eyes, from Old English geblindfellian : blind, blind; see blind + fellian, to strike down.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English blindfellen, to strike blind, from blind (to blind) + fellen (to fell).

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