Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A local swelling of the skin that contains watery fluid and is caused by burning or irritation.
- n. A similar swelling on a plant.
- n. A raised bubble, as on a painted or laminated surface.
- n. A rounded, bulging, usually transparent structure, such as one used for observation on certain aircraft or for display and protection of packaged products.
- v. To cause a blister to form on.
- v. To reprove harshly.
- v. To break out in or as if in blisters.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A thin vesicle on the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, by a vesicatory, or by disease; a pustule. It is formed by disintegration and effusion of serum into some of the softer epidermal layers, or
- n. An elevation made by the lifting up of an external film or skin by confined air or fluid, as on plants, or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel.
- n. Something applied to the skin to raise a blister, as a plaster of Spanish flies, mustard, etc., as a means of counter-irritation; a vesicatory.
- n. In castings of different materials, an effect caused by the presence of confined bubbles of air or gas.
- n. A distortion of peach-leaves caused by the fungus Exoascus deformans; bladder-blight. See Exoascus. Also called blistering.
- To raise a blister or blisters on, as by a burn, medical application, or friction: as, to blister one's hands.
- To raise filmy vesicles on by heat: as, too high a temperature will blister paint; blistered steel. See blister-steel.
- Figuratively, to cause to suffer as if from blisters; subject to burning shame or disgrace.
- To rise in blisters, or become blistered.
- n. A swelling on a metal plate; a bag.
- n. A young oyster.
- n. In photography, a defect in a plate or on a paper in the process of coating with gelatin, albumin, or collodion.
- n. In glass-making, a defect in the glass caused by the retention of gas-bubbles formed during the melting.
- n. A common disease of pear-leaves produced by a mite, Phytoptus pyri, commonly called the pear-leaf blister mite. Each blister is a swelling of the leaf, producing a cavity in which the mites are found.
Wiktionary
- n. A small bubble between the layers of the skin that contains watery or bloody fluid and is caused by friction and pressure, burning, freezing, chemical irritation, disease or infection.
- n. A swelling on a plant.
- n. Something applied to the skin to raise a blister; a vesicatory or other applied medicine.
- n. A bubble, as on a painted surface.
- n. An enclosed pocket of air, which may be mixed with water or solvent vapor, trapped between impermeable layers of felt or between the membrane and substrate.
- v. To cause blisters to form.
- v. To criticise severely.
- v. To break out in blisters.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle.
- n. Any elevation made by the separation of the film or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface, as on steel.
- n. A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or other matter, applied to raise a blister.
- v. To be affected with a blister or blisters; to have a blister form on.
- v. To raise a blister or blisters upon.
- v. To give pain to, or to injure, as if by a blister.
WordNet 3.0
- n. (botany) a swelling on a plant similar to that on the skin
- v. cause blisters to form on
- v. subject to harsh criticism
- n. a flaw on a surface resulting when an applied substance does not adhere (as an air bubble in a coat of paint)
- v. get blistered
- n. (pathology) an elevation of the skin filled with serous fluid
Etymologies
- Middle English, probably from Old French blestre, of Germanic origin.
Examples
“Remember how Accutane came in blister packs, and the no-pregnancy symbols on the back of _every_ _single_ _blister_?”
“I buy the Raid in blister packs of three at Costco.”
“But plastic wrapped things, shrink-wrapped items, equipment sold in blister packs or sealed in a stiff transparent plastic, those we did not have … much.”
“Not much pain, though the newish blister is tender.”
“Since Mexican meds come in blister packs that don't come out to 30 or 60 resign yourself to loosing reimbursement on the couple extra pills.”
“This could drive the cost of WiFi cards down so low that they start selling 'em in blister-packs of 10 at the WalGreen's.”
“The principal threat to this tree is an infectious fungus called blister rust, but the cumulative impacts of climate change, mountain pine beetle infestations and fire suppression have all contributed to an ongoing population reduction of 70 per cent," said the committee, which has assessed the Whitebark Pine as endangered.”
“This compound causes blistering of the skin, thus the name blister beetle.”
“Draining the blister is a last resort that's best performed by a pro.”
The Washington Post: How runners can avoid or, if necessary, treat blisters
“The opening of the blister was a sign of surrender.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘blister’.
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• Little pains in my butt
Annoying, little, things. In a single word.
psoriasis, interjections, sultriness, spam, mice, mosquitoes, dust, mould, ipod, pimple, blister, sliver and 93 more...
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Figuratively
Words with definitions containing "figuratively."
spore, plunge, fulminate, rasp, hinge, niche, breathe, approach, hammer, rain, butcher, dazzle and 128 more...
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Lists
I'm sure someone's done this before. If so, please leave the name of the list as an item on the list. Thank you.
grocery list, santa's list, A list, backlist, frontlist, midlist, Franz Liszt, baronage, bibliography, index, list, listing and 61 more...
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Steroids
Nouns that end in "ster". The -er suffix (as in blaster) doesn't count.
hamster, filibuster, aster, master, mister, baluster, banister, barrister, monster, plaster, semester, bister and 56 more...

sionnach
The Mrs. kr. Mr.
Then how her Mr. kr.!
He kr. kr. kr.
Until he raised a blr.
The blr. killed his Mrs.
Then how he mr. krs.!
His heartsick reminrs.
Felt like spiritual abrs.
He mr. mr. mr.
Until he kr. sr.
And though hrs. did insr.
Place be shamed, he did assr.
Since her doubts have not dismr.
From the place of her dear sr.
Now he covers her with krs.
In the memory of his mrs.
(from "The Futility Closet" website)
Feb 10, 2009
brtom Well, I never see anything like that old blister for clean out-and-out cheek. HF 29 Dec 7, 2006