Bluestockingism
(Blue"stock`ing*ism) n. The character or manner of a bluestocking; female pedantry.
[Colloq.]
Bluestone
(Blue"stone`) n.
1. Blue vitriol. Dunglison.
2. A grayish blue building stone, as that commonly used in the eastern United States.
Bluethroat
(Blue"throat`) n. (Zoöl.) A singing bird of northern Europe and Asia related to the nightingales; —
called also blue-throated robin and blue-throated warbler.
Bluets
(Blu"ets) n. [F. bluet, bleuet, dim. of bleu blue. See Blue, a.] (Bot.) A name given to several
different species of plants having blue flowers, as the Houstonia cœrulea, the Centaurea cyanus or bluebottle,
and the Vaccinium angustifolium.
Blue-veined
(Blue"-veined`) a. Having blue veins or blue streaks.
Bluewing
(Blue"wing`) n. (Zoöl.) The blue-winged teal. See Teal.
Bluey
(Blue"y) a. Bluish. Southey.
Bluff
(Bluff) a. [Cf. OD. blaf flat, broad, blaffaert one with a broad face, also, a boaster; or G. verblüffen
to confuse, LG. bluffen to frighten; to unknown origin.]
1. Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship. "Bluff visages." Irving.
2. Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front. "A bluff or bold shore." Falconer.
Its banks, if not really steep, had a bluff and precipitous aspect.
Judd.
3. Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
4. Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a
bluff sea captain. "Bluff King Hal." Sir W. Scott.
There is indeed a bluff pertinacity which is a proper defense in a moment of surprise.
I. Taylor.
Bluff
(Bluff), n.
1. A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
Beach, bluff, and wave, adieu.
Whittier.
2. An act of bluffing; an expression of self- confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as,
that is only bluff, or a bluff.
3. A game at cards; poker. [U.S.] Bartlett.
Bluff
(Bluff), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bluffed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bluffing.]
1. (Poker) To deter (an opponent) from taking the risk of betting on his hand of cards, as the bluffer
does by betting heavily on his own hand although it may be of less value. [U. S.]
2. To frighten or deter from accomplishing a purpose by making a show of confidence in one's strength
or resources; as, he bluffed me off. [Colloq.]
