Definitions

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

  • noun One that blinks, especially a light that blinks in order to convey a message or warning.
  • transitive verb To put blinders on.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One who blinks.
  • noun One of two leather flaps placed on the sides of a horse's head to prevent him from seeing sidewise or backward; a blind or blinder; hence, figuratively, any obstruction to sight or discernment.
  • noun plural Goggles; spectacles used for protecting the eyes from the light, dust, glare of the snow, etc.
  • noun A small mackerel: a name used by fishermen.

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

  • noun One who, or that which, blinks.
  • noun A blinder for horses; a flap of leather on a horse's bridle to prevent him from seeing objects as his side hence, whatever obstructs sight or discernment.
  • noun A kind of goggles, used to protect the eyes form glare, etc.

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

  • noun Something that blinks, as the turn signal of an automobile.
  • noun Eye shields attached to a hood for horses, to prevent them from seeing backwards and partially sideways.
  • noun Whatever obstructs sight or discernment: WikiQuote
  • noun rare Eyelid.
  • noun cellular automata In Conway's Game of Life, an arrangement of three cells in a row that switches between horizontal and vertical orientations in each generation.
  • verb To put blinkers on.

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

  • noun blind consisting of a leather eyepatch sewn to the side of the halter that prevents a horse from seeing something on either side
  • noun a light that flashes on and off; used as a signal or to send messages
  • verb put blinders on (a horse)
  • noun a blinking light on a motor vehicle that indicates the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Joe had resorted to another sort of wireless -- the "blinker" -- and, not knowing the call signal for the station he was nearest, had given the prescribed call in such a case, a series of short flashes, or dots.

    The Brighton Boys in the Radio Service James R. [pseud.] Driscoll

  • Gordon Brown a "blinker", maybe that's why Ed Balls does that rapid blinking thing, he's trying to curry favour with his master.

    Archive 2008-02-01 Not a sheep 2008

  • "" Tony thinks Brown's a 'blinker', someone who blinks in a stand-off.

    Archive 2008-02-01 Not a sheep 2008

  • “I’m not a blinker,” I lie, mostly because it’s embarrassing to be called a blinker.

    Rules for Secret Keeping Lauren Barnholdt 2010

  • He has more animal spirit than the pointer, but he has not so much patient courage; and the chastisement, sometimes unnecessary and cruel, but leaving the pointer perfect in his work, and eager for it too, would make the setter disgusted with it, and leave him a mere 'blinker'.

    The Dog William Youatt 1811

  • I am similarly concerned with the potential to 'blinker' Australian citizens who are thus more easily manipulated and restricted to narrow perspectives.

    Peter Black's Freedom to Differ 2008

  • We would do well to bear this in mind with regard to contemporary strange fiction, wherever critics blinker themselves and -- whether revering or reviling it as such -- class the strange fiction genres as essentially romance.

    Archive 2010-03-01 Hal Duncan 2010

  • Carl waited with his blinker on at the shoulder of the road for a break in traffic.

    The Big Cross Daniel Crocker 2011

  • You liberals are in for a rude awakening in 2010. blinker

    Bush takes aim at Obama policies 2009

  • So far Sam has said that he thought the driver ahead of him was making a left turn, despite the fact that the guy had his right blinker on and he wasn't in the left turn lane.

    Mayor Creepy update (Jack Bog's Blog) 2009

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