Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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BLINTER, v. and n.

I. v.

1. To glimmer, to flicker.Mry., Abd. 1825 Jam.²:
Blinter. To shine feebly, or with an unsteady flame, like a candle going out.Abd. 1824 G. Smith Douglas, etc. 35:
Will o' the wisp was blintrin' in the vale.Abd.² 1935Abd.⁹ 1935Abd. 1995 Flora Garry Collected Poems 29:
An faar's wir fisher toon? Ae lum, ae gaivel
Blinterin throwe blae watter an smore drift.Ags. 1929 J. S. Buist in Scots Mag. (May) 151:
The firelicht blintered on her face.

ppl.adj. blinterin', brintrin, blinking, flickering.ne.Sc. 1929 M. W. Simpson Day's End 14:
An' the blinterin' starnies winner an' glower.m.Sc. 1976 Walter Perrie A Lamentation for the Children (1977) 11:
... an set oot in a blinterin dawn ...Ags. 1988 Raymond Vettese The Richt Noise 101:
wi glore that's won thro blinks and aeons
frae dreicher blintrin moments -

2. “To bring the eye-lids close to the pupil of the eye, in consequence of a defect of vision [or as a result of internal or external stimulus] . . . to blink” (Mry., Abd. 1825 Jam.²).Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 20:
That he's acquaint wi' ane like you; Whase lilts wad gar a Quaker blinter.

ppl.adj. blint'rin', short-sighted; blinking.Nai. 1828 W. Gordon Poems 241:
My blint'rin' een I rubb'd them sair.Abd.(D) 1916 G. Abel Wylins fae my Wallet 139:
As airm in airm they brocht their blint'rin' brither back to hame.

Hence blinterer, “a person with weak eyes” (Bnff.² 1935; Abd. 1905 E.D.D. Suppl.).

II. n. The shimmering haze often seen in the strong heat of summer.Bch. 1804 W. Tarras Poems 22:
An' fend the heat o' simmer's blinter.