▪ I. † ˈbisson, a. Obs.
Also 1 bisene, 1–4 bisne, 4 bisen, 5 byson(e, bysom, 6 bysome, bisme, 7 beasom, beesome, (north. dial. beesen, beezen.)
[OE. (Northumb.) b{iacu}sene, a difficult word, of doubtful etymology. Comparison with Du. bij-ziend short-sighted, lit. ‘near-seeing, seeing (close) by,’ has suggested that it was a corruption of b{iacu}séonde, f. bi-, by + séonde seeing. Another suggestion is that the original form was b{iacu}séne, f. b{iacu}- pref. + (ᵹe)s{iacu}ene, -s{yacu}ne, -séne manifest, conspicuous, visible. See Skeat. The former explanation has various etymological difficulties; the latter appears to fail in the sense, since ‘visible close by’ is not = ‘seeing only close at hand,’ still less = ‘blind.’]
1. Destitute of sight; blind.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. ix. 27 Gefylᵹdon hine tuoeᵹe bisene. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2822 Quo made bisne, and quo lockende? c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 682 A byson mon dwelt fast hym by; Þe whyche hadde ben bleynte alle his lyve. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Mark viii. 22 Not poreblynde, or a litell appayred, and decayed in sight, but as bysome as was possible to be. 1552 Huloet, Blynde or beasom borne, cœcigenus. 1559 Mirr. Mag. 478 As thou art bisme, so are thy actions blind. |
b. In the following the sense is perh.: Purblind.
| a 1250 Owl & Night. 243 A dai thu art blind other bisne. c 1450 in Rel. Ant. II. 240 Now the bysom ledys the bleynde. 1607 Shakes. Cor. ii. i. 70 What harme can your beesome Conspectuities gleane out of this Charracter. |
2. ? Blinding.
| 1602 Shakes. Ham. ii. ii. 529 [The mobled queen] Threatning the flame With Bisson Rheume. |
▪ II. † ˈbisson, v. Obs. rare.
In 7 bizen, byzon.
[f. prec.]
To make blind. Only in ppl. adj. bissoned.
| c 1600 Day Begg. Bednell Gr. iv. 2 Peace; heaven may give my byzon'd eyes their light. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 6 Bizen'd, blinded. |