▪ I. blea, n. rare.
(bliː)
Also 8 ble(e.
[Perh. from blea, blae a. in sense of ‘livid, pale.’]
The young wood of a tree under the bark; the alburnum or white wood.
| 1730–6 Bailey (fol.) Ble, Blea, Blee (in Chirurgery), the inward Bark of a Tree, or that Part of the wood, which was last form'd. 1753 Chambers Cycl. Suppl. s.v., While the blea remains yet soft..it may maintain a feeble vegetation. 1830 J. G. Strutt Sylva Brit. 20 The blea and the inner bark. |
▪ II. † blea, v. Obs. exc. dial.
Also 6 blay, 7 bley, blee; 8–9 Sc. blae.
[Prob. imitative of the sound; perhaps with associations of bleat, blab, blabber, etc. Jamieson compares F. bêler, L. balāre: cf. OSlav. blejati to bleat, also Gr. βληχάοµαι I bleat, βληχή bleating, with the same initial sound. Variously pronounced in dialects (bleː, blɪə, bliː).]
intr. To bleat as a lamb or kid; to cry piteously as a child. Hence ˈblaying, ˈbleying vbl. n.
| 1568 Jacob & Esau iv. vi. in Hazl. Dodsley II. 237 Methinketh I hear a young kid blea! 1581 Sidney Astr. & Stella ix, Tell her in your piteous blaying Her poor slaves unjust decaying. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 242 In their sleepe, they seeme to low or blea, and thereupon they be called Sea-calues. 1617 F. Moryson Itin. iii. i. i. 10 The bleying of Sheepe. 1623 J. Taylor (Water P.) Merry Wh. (1885) 15 Cocks did crow, and lambs did bleat and blee. |
▪ III. blea, -berry
obs. form of blay , blae, -berry.