▪ I. blunder, v.
(ˈblʌndə(r))
Forms: 4–5 blondren, blundren, 5 blundir, -yr, 5–6 blondre, -er, blounder, blundre, 7– blunder.
[ME. blondren; of uncertain origin: a good deal depends upon whether the ME. -on- here, as often (cf. wonder, sunder), stands merely graphically for -un-, or is etymological. In the latter case an explanation of blonder as a frequentative of blond, bland v., to mix, would well account for the transitive senses. The suggestion that it is a frequentative from Icel. blonda to doze (Sw. blunda to shut the eyes), suits the intransitive senses, but is otherwise doubtful; cf. however blund. Perhaps there are really two distinct verbs, with their later senses affected by each other.]
I. To confuse, confound.
† 1. a. trans. To mix up or mingle confusedly; to confuse, disturb; to make (water) turbid. Obs.
| c 1440 York Myst. xvi. 4 Blonderand þer blastis, to blaw when I bidde. 1530 Palsgr. 458/2 I blonder, Je perturbe..Who hat blondred these thynges on this facyon? 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie Ded., The whole..frame of this earth seemeth blundered and confounded with the innumerable Catalogues of Interpreters. 1638 Baker tr. Balzac's Lett. iii. vi. (1654) 75, I blunder the water of all Rivers I cross. |
† b. To confound, distract (in understanding).
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3976 ‘Blyve,’ sais thies bolde mene ‘Thow blondirs þi selfene.’ 1740 Ditton On Resurrect. 63 (R.) So as by any means whatsoever to blunder an adversary. |
† c. To put out of order, derange, injure. Obs.
| 1440 J. Shirley Dethe K. Jas. (1818) 15 The lokes ver so blundrid, that thay nethir couth ne myght shut hit [a door]. |
2. To confound (in one's mind) stupidly.
| a 1699 Stillingfl. (J.) He blunders and confounds all these together. 1842 S. R. Maitland Remarks 9 That ingenious writer also blunders him with Arnold of Brescia. |
II. To move, act, or perform, blindly or stupidly.
3. a. intr. To move blindly or stupidly; to flounder, stumble. Often with on; also to blunder one's way along; and in senses partaking of 7, as to blunder into, blunder against.
| c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 861 Bayard the blynde, That blundreth [v.r. blondreth] forth, and peril casteth noon. 1520 Whittinton Vulg. (1527) 2 Wandre bloundryng as a blynde man. a 1700 Dryden Pal. & Arc. i. 435 The sot..blunders on and staggers every pace. 1766 New Bath Guide i. 67 To see them blund'ring by my side. 1858 Hawthorne Fr. & It. Jrnls. I. 79 We had blundered into the carriage-entrance. 1869 Parkman Disc. Gt. West v. (1875) 55 A large fish..blundered against Marquette's canoe. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) III. xii. 175 They..blundered on hopelessly through the unknown..country. 1880 I. L. Bird Japan II. 143 The horses had to blunder their way along a bright, rushing river. |
b. fig. To flounder, stumble.
| 1641 Milton Ch. Discip. i. Wks. (1851) 30 Blundring upon the dangerous and suspectfull translations of the Apostat Aquila. 1728 Young Love Fame v. (1757) 132 Puzzled learning blunders far behind. 1735 Pope Prol. Sat. 186 He who now to sense, now nonsense leaning, Means not, but blunders round about a meaning. 1817 Byron Beppo xxvii, He had somehow blunder'd into debt. 1871 Lowell Study Wind., A tempest is blundering round the house. |
c. to blunder upon: to come upon by a blunder or ‘fluke’.
| 1710 H. Bedford Vind. Ch. Eng. 78 Our Discoverer has..happen'd to blunder upon the truth. 1798 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Tales Hoy Wks. 1812 IV. 418 Who never so much as blundered on a bon-mot. |
d. trans. to blunder out: to produce by mere blundering or blind action.
| 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. i. v. 679 The things of the world..not..made by the previous counsel, contrivance, and intention of any understanding Deity..blunder'd out themselves, one after another, according to the train or sequel of the fortuitous motions of matter. |
† 4. intr. To deal blindly and stupidly. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 117 We blondren [v.r. blondern, bloundren, blundren, blundere] euere, and pouren in the fuyr. 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. v. xli. in Ashm. (1652) 157 These Phylosophers..Medlyth and blondryth wyth many a thyng. |
5. trans. To utter thoughtlessly, stupidly, or by a blunder, to blurt out. Usually with out.
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 35 To Blundir, [A. blundyr, blandior]. 1570–87 Hollinshed Scot. Chron. (1806) II. 81 The same began to be blundered from one to another of the train. 1587 Censure loy. Subiect (Collier) 28 He blundered forth his prognostication. 1701 Swift Mrs. Harris' Petit. Wks. 1755 III. ii. 61 Before I was aware, out I blunder'd; ‘Parson,’ said I. 1755 Smollett Quix. (1803) II. 33 Sancho blundered out—‘Then, in good faith, Mr. Licentiate,’ etc. |
6. refl. (in sense of 3 or 7.)
| a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. iii. 51 Herein all the Epicureans..do miserably blunder themselves. |
7. a. intr. To make a stupid and gross mistake in doing anything. to blunder away (trans.): to throw away, lose by blundering: cf. to fool away.
| 1711 Swift Lett. (1767) III. 101 See how I blundered, and left two lines short. 1792 Anecd. W. Pitt I. ii. 36 The wretch that, after having seen the consequences of a thousand errors, continues still to blunder. 1801 W. Taylor in Month. Mag. XII. 588 Mr. Fox has never blundered away the interests of his country. 1855 Tennyson Charge Light Brigade 12 The soldier knew Some one had blunder'd. |
b. trans. To bring or cause to fall into a state by clumsy or inept behaviour; to use blunderingly.
| 1901 Westm. Gaz. 27 June 4/3 They believe that Mr. Chamberlain has blundered the country into war. 1912 A. S. M. Hutchinson Happy Warrior v. x. §i. 347 He..hated to have blundered all his dullness on so rare and exquisite a thing. |
8. trans. To mismanage, make a blunder in.
| 1805 Wellington in Owen Disp. 789 They must have blundered that siege terribly. 1816 Scott Antiq. vi, The banker's clerk, who was directed to sum my cash-account, blundered it three times. 1876 H. N. Humphreys Coin Coll. Man. xxvi. 391 Inscriptions blundered by the die engraver. |
¶ Cockeram (1623) has ‘Blunder, to bestir ones selfe.’
▪ II. blunder, n.
(ˈblʌndə(r))
Forms: 4 blondyre, 5 blondre, blonder, blundur, 6 blounder, 4– blunder.
[app. f. the vb.: though extant instances of the n. are earlier.]
† 1. Confusion, bewilderment, trouble, disturbance, clamour. Obs. (The early quotations are vague in sense: the latest shade off into 2.)
| c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 18 Oft boþe blysse and blunder Ful skete hatz skyfted. c 1375 ? Barbour St. Theodora 542 Þat wald bring me in sik blondyre. c 1440 York Myst. xxxiii. 94 With his blure he bredis mekill blondre. c 1450 Agst. Friars in Rel. Ant. I. 322 Amonges men of holy chirch, thai maken mochel blonder. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 30 I shalle make ye stille as stone, begynnar of blunder. 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 270 Hoste that is out of araye and in a blounder scatered. 1600 Holland Livy x. xlii. 383 He heard a confused crie and blunder [clamorem] in the citie. Ibid. xlii. 1124 The bruite was also blowne to Rome, and blunder there was of the death of Eumenes. 1774 Goldsmith Retal. 21 Then, with chaos & blunders encircling my head, Let me ponder. |
2. A gross mistake; an error due to stupidity or carelessness.
The words of Talleyrand as to the murder of the Duc d'Enghien—‘ces paroles stoïquement politiques, {oqq}C'est plus qu'un crime, c'est une faute{cqq}’ (Lucien Bonaparte Mem. an. 1804 (1882) I. 432) have been englished, ‘It is worse than a crime, it is a blunder,’ and are often quoted or alluded to.
| 1706 Phillips, Blunder, a mistake, fault, or oversight. 1711 Swift Lett. (1767) III. 209 The twenty pounds I lend you is not to be included; so make no blunder. 1726 De Foe Hist. Devil i. v. (1840) 63 Another mistake, not to call it a blunder. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 239 The numerous crimes and blunders of the last eighteen years. 1865 Ld. Derby in Parl. 3 May, If the Confederate authorities had directly or indirectly sanctioned this assassination..it would be on their part worse than a crime, it would be a blunder. a 1867 Buckle Misc. Wks. (1872) I. 25 Ingratitude aggravated by cruelty must..be a blunder as well as a crime. |
| ¶ 1729 Woolston Disc. Miracles 28 Now-a-days, dull and foolish and absurd stuff we call Bulls, Fatlings, and Blunders. |