blank

See also: Blank and blänk

English

Etymology

From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). Akin to Old High German blanch (“shining, bright, white”) (German blank), Old English blanc (“white, grey”), blanca (“white steed”), Spanish blanco. More at blink, blind, blanch. Doublet of blanc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blæŋk/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk

Adjective

blank (comparative blanker or more blank, superlative blankest or most blank)

1. (archaic) White or pale; without colour.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IX”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 656–657:

     To the blanc Moone / Her office they preſcrib'd,

2. Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in.

   blank paper

   a blank check

   a blank ballot

   a blank CD

   • 2011 December 27, Mike Henson, “Norwich 0 - 2 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     Referee Michael Oliver failed to detect a foul in a crowded box and the Canaries escaped down the tunnel with the scoreline still blank.

3. (figurative) Lacking characteristics which give variety; uniform.

   a blank desert; a blank wall; blank unconsciousness

4. Abject; absolute; complete; downright; sheer; utter.

   a blank refusal to cooperate

   There was a look of blank terror on his face.

5. (figurative) Without expression, usually because of incomprehension.

   Failing to understand the question, he gave me a blank stare.

6. Utterly confounded or discomfited.
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC, lines 888–890:

     Adam […] Aſtonied ſtood and Blank,

7. Empty; void; without result; fruitless; futile.

   a blank day

8. Devoid of thoughts, memory, or inspiration.

   The shock left his memory blank.

9. (military) Of ammunition: having propellant but no bullets; unbulleted.

   The recruits were issued blank rounds for a training exercise.

Descendants

• Belizean Creole: blank

Translations

(archaic) without color

• Bulgarian: бял (bg) (bjal), безцветен (bg) (bezcveten)
• Danish: farveløs (da), tom (da), blank (da)
• Finnish: valkoinen (fi), väritön (fi)
• German: ausdruckslos (de)
• Italian: intonso (it)
• Macedonian: бел (bel), блед (bled), бе́збоен (bézboen)
• Polish: bezbarwny (pl) m
• Romanian: inexpresiv (ro) m or n, neexpresiv m or n
• Russian: бе́лый (ru) (bélyj), бле́дный (ru) (blédnyj), бесцве́тный (ru) (bescvétnyj)
• Spanish: en blanco (es)
• Vietnamese: trắng (vi), để trắng

free from writing, printing or marks

• Arabic: خَالٍ (ar) (ḵālin) (indefinite), اَلْخَالِي (al-ḵālī) (definite), فَارِغ (fāriḡ)
• Bulgarian: празен (bg) (prazen), неизписан (bg) (neizpisan), непопълнен (bg) (nepopǎlnen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 空白 (zh) (kòngbái)

• Danish: tom (da), ubeskrevet
• Estonian: tühi
• Finnish: tyhjä (fi)
• French: blanc (fr), vierge (fr)
• Galician: en branco, virxe (gl)
• Georgian: სუფთა (supta)
• German: unbeschrieben, unausgefüllt
• Ido: vakua (io)
• Italian: in bianco (it), vuoto (it), intatto (it), vergine (it)
• Macedonian: пра́зен (prázen), неи́спишан (neíspišan)
• Ngazidja Comorian: -eu
• Norwegian: blank
• Polish: czysty (pl) m, pusty (pl) m, niewypełniony m, niezapisany m, niezadrukowany m
• Portuguese: em branco (pt), virgem (pt)
• Romanian: nescris (ro) m or n, curat (ro) m or n, necompletat m or n
• Russian: чи́стый (ru) (čístyj), пусто́й (ru) (pustój), неиспи́санный (neispísannyj), незапо́лненный (ru) (nezapólnennyj)
• Sinhalese: හිස්තැන (histæna)
• Spanish: en blanco (es), virgen (es)
• Swedish: blank (sv), tom (sv)
• Vietnamese: trống (vi), trắng (vi), để trống, để trắng

of ammunition

• Finnish: paukku-
• French: balles à blanc f pl
• Greek: αβολίδωτος (avolídotos)
• Italian: cartuccia a salve
• Portuguese: bala de festim
• Russian: холосто́й (ru) (xolostój)
• Spanish: de fogueo
• Vietnamese: mã tử

without expression

• Spanish: inexpresivo (es), neutro (es), vacío (es)

Noun

blank (plural blanks)

1. (archaic, historical, obsolete) A small French coin, originally of silver, afterwards of copper, worth 5 deniers; also a silver coin of Henry V current in the parts of France then held by the English, worth about 8 pence [15th–17th century].
   • 1523, Jean Froissart, transl. by John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Cronycles of Englande, Fraunce etc.:

     Whosoeuer brought a fagot before the kynges tent, he shulde haue a blanke of Fraunce.

2. (obsolete) A nonplus [16th century].
3. The white spot in the centre of a target; hence (figuratively) the object to which anything is directed or aimed, the range of such aim [since the 16th century].
   • 1603, William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice‎^[2]:

     Des. […] And stood within the blank of his displeasure / For my free speech! (Act III, scene 11)

   • 1606, William Shakespeare, King Lear‎^[3]:

     Kent. See better, Lear, and let me still remain / The true blank of thine eye. (Act I, scene 2)

4. A lot by which nothing is gained; a ticket in a lottery on which no prize is indicated [since the 16th century].
   • 1693, Decimus Junius Juvenalis, Thomas Creech, transl., “[The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis.] The Satyr”, in The Satires of Decimus Junius Juvenalis. Translated into English Verse. […] Together with the Satires of Aulus Persius Flaccus. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC, page 257:

     […] and in Fortune's Lottery lies / A heap of Blanks, like this, for one ſmall Prize.

5. An empty space; a void, for example on a paper [since the 16th century].
   1. A space to be filled in on a form or template.

      Write your answers in the blanks.

   2. Provisional words printed in italics (instead of blank spaces) in a bill before Parliament, being matters of practical detail, of which the final form is to be settled in committee [since the 19th century].
6. (now chiefly US) A document, paper, or form with spaces left blank to be filled in at the pleasure of the person to whom it is given (e.g. a blank charter, ballot, form, contract, etc.), or as the event may determine; a blank form [since the 16th century].
   • 1859, John Gorham Palfrey, History of New England‎^[4], volume 1:

     […] and the freemen signified their approbation by an inscribed vote, and their dissent by a blank.

   1. An empty form without substance; anything insignificant; nothing at all [since the 17th century].
   2. An unprinted leaf of a book [20th century].
7. (literature) Blank verse [since the 16th century].
8. (mechanics, engineering) A piece of material roughly cut, forged, cast, etc. to the size and shape of the thing to be made, and ready for the finishing operations; (coining) the disc of metal before stamping [since the 16th century].
   1. Any article of glass on which subsequent processing is required [since the 19th century].
   2. (electric recording) The shaved wax ready for placing on a recording machine for making wax records with a stylus [20th century].
9. (figurative) A vacant space, place, or period; a void [since the 17th century].
   • c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv], page 263, column 1:

     Du. And what's her hiſtory?
     Vio. A blanke my Lord:

10. The ¹ / ₂₃₀₄₀₀ of a grain [17th century].
11. An empty space in one's memory; a forgotten item or memory [since the 18th century].
    • 1736, Jonathan Swift, Letters‎^[5]:

      My head is so ill that I cannot write a paper full as I used to do; and yet I will not forgive a blank of half an inch from you.

    • 1818, Henry Hallam, View of the State of Europe During the Middle Ages‎^[6]:

      From this time there ensues a long blank in the history of French legislation.

    • 1863, George Eliot, Romola‎^[7]:

      “I was ill. I can't tell how long — it was a blank. […] ”

12. A dash written in place of an omitted letter or word [since the 18th century]
13. The space character; the character resulting from pressing the space bar on a keyboard.
14. (dominoes) A domino without points on one or both of its divisions.

    the double blank

    the six blank

15. (firearms) Short for blank cartridge. [since the 19th century].

    It was an unloaded gun that fired only blanks.

16. (figurative, in the expression ‘shooting blanks’, sports) An ineffective effort which achieves nothing [since the 20th century].
    1. (chemistry) A sample for a control experiment that does not contain any of the analyte of interest, in order to deliberately produce a non-detection to verify that a detection is distinguishable from it.
    2. (slang) Infertile semen.

Synonyms

• (bullet that doesn't harm): blank cartridge, blank bullet

Translations

kind of base silver money

void space on a paper

• Bulgarian: празнина́ (bg) f (prazniná), пра́зно мя́сто n (prázno mjásto)
• Danish: tom plads c
• Finnish: tyhjä tila
• French: blanc (fr) m
• Macedonian: пра́знина f (práznina)
• Polish: puste miejsce n
• Portuguese: branco (pt) m, lacuna (pt) f
• Russian: про́пуск (ru) m (própusk), пробе́л (ru) m (probél), пустота́ (ru) f (pustotá), пусто́е ме́сто n (pustóje mésto)
• Swedish: tomrum (sv) n
• Vietnamese: khoảng trống (vi), chỗ để trống

space to be filled in on a form or template

• Bulgarian: пра́зно мя́сто n (prázno mjásto)
• Danish: rubrik c
• Finnish: aukko (fi), tyhjä kohta
• German: Lücke (de) f
• Indonesian: isian (id)
• Japanese: 余白 (ja) (よはく, yohaku), 空欄 (ja) (くうらん, kūran)
• Korean: 칸 (ko) (kan), 여백(餘白) (ko) (yeobaek), 공란(空欄) (ko) (gongnan), 빈칸 (binkan)
• Macedonian: пра́зно ме́сто n (prázno mésto)
• Polish: puste miejsce n
• Portuguese: lacuna (pt) f
• Romanian: (necompletat) loc gol n
• Russian: пусто́е ме́сто n (pustóje mésto)
• Spanish: espacio en blanco m, casilla (es) f
• Swedish: ruta (sv) c
• Vietnamese: khoảng trống (vi) (曠𥧪), chỗ để trống, gạch để trống

workpiece

• Bulgarian: загото́вка (bg) f (zagotóvka)
• Danish: råemne n
• Finnish: aihio (fi)
• French: préforme (fr)
• German: Rohling (de)
• Russian: загото́вка (ru) f (zagotóvka), болва́нка (ru) f (bolvánka)
• Swedish: ämne (sv) n
• Vietnamese: mẫu in

piece or division of a piece

• Danish: blanko-
• Finnish: aihio (fi)
• French: préforme (fr)

space character

• Bulgarian: интерва́л (bg) m (intervál), шпа́ция (bg) f (špácija)
• Czech: mezera (cs) f
• Danish: mellemrum n
• Dutch: spatie (nl)
• Esperanto: spaceto
• Finnish: tyhjämerkki, välilyönti (fi)
• French: espace (fr)
• German: Leerzeichen (de) n, Leerstelle (de) f, Wortzwischenraum (de) m, Spatium (de) n
• Macedonian: интерва́л m (intervál)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: mellomrom n

  Nynorsk: mellomrom n

• Polish: spacja (pl) f
• Portuguese: espaço (pt) m
• Russian: пробе́л (ru) m (probél)
• Spanish: espacio (es) m
• Swedish: mellanslag (sv) n
• Vietnamese: dấu cách, khoảng cách (vi)

simulation cartridge

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 空包彈 / 空包弹 (zh) (kōngbāodàn)

• Danish: løs patron c
• Dutch: losse flodder
• Finnish: paukkupatruuna (fi), räkäpää (fi) (slang)
• French: balle à blanc f, cartouche à blanc f
• German: Platzpatrone f
• Hungarian: vaktöltény (hu)
• Indonesian: peluru kosong
• Italian: cartuccia a salve f
• Japanese: 空包 (ja) (くうほう, kūhō)
• Macedonian: ќо́р-фишек m (ḱór-fišek), пла́шливец m (plášlivec)
• Polish: ślepy nabój m
• Portuguese: festim (pt) m
• Romanian: cartuș orb (ro) n (de exercițiu)
• Russian: холосто́й патро́н m (xolostój patrón), холосто́й (ru) m (xolostój)
• Spanish: cartucho de fogueo m, bala de salva f
• Swedish: lös patron c
• Vietnamese: đạn mã tử

Verb

blank (third-person singular simple present blanks, present participle blanking, simple past and past participle blanked)

1. (transitive) To make void; to erase.

   I blanked out my previous entry.

2. (transitive, slang) To ignore (a person) deliberately.

   She blanked me for no reason.

   • 2024 February 4, Sonia Horon, “Taylor Swift goes viral for BLANKING Celine Dion on stage at Grammys 2024 after diva emerges from battle with stiff-person syndrome to present her with historic Album of the Year”, in dailymail.co.uk‎^[8]:

     Taylor Swift goes viral for blanking Celine Dion on stage at Grammys 2024 […] Taylor Swift received backlash for being 'disrespectful' by 'ignoring' Celine Dion while accepting the award for Album of the Year at the Grammys on Sunday.

3. (transitive, aviation, of a control surface) To render ineffective by blanketing with turbulent airflow, such as from aircraft wake or reverse thrust.

   At high angles of attack, the shuttle’s rudder is blanked by the fuselage and wings, forcing it to use its RCS thrusters for yaw control.

4. (transitive) To prevent from scoring; for example, in a sporting event.

   The team was blanked.

   England blanks Wales to advance to the final.

5. (intransitive) To become blank.
   • 2007 February 14, NASA, “4.5.2 Two-Engine-Out Contingency Software Termination”, in Contingency Aborts 21007/31007‎^[9], archived from the original on 8 March 2022, page 45:

     In OPS 6, the 2 EO color field does blank at SSME fine count. Once in fine count in route to an RTLS MECO, the energy state is such that one engine can carry the orbiter though powered pitch-down to a healthy MECO condition with standard RTLS guidance.

6. (intransitive, informal) To experience a temporary lapse of memory; to be temporarily unable to remember a particular fact. Note: Usually used in the first person, present progressive tense; and commonly followed by on to create a transitive phrasal verb.

   Synonyms: draw a blank, freeze, freeze up

   I’m blanking on her name right now.

   She asked him a simple question during the interview, and he blanked.

Usage notes

• Almost any sense of this can occur with out. See blank out.

Translations

to make void

• Bulgarian: изтривам (bg) (iztrivam), изличавам (bg) (izličavam)
• Danish: strege
• Finnish: tyhjentää (fi), kumittaa (fi)
• French: effacer (fr), annuler (fr), blancoter (fr) (familiar)
• Portuguese: apagar (pt)
• Russian: стира́ть (ru) impf (stirátʹ), стере́ть (ru) pf (sterétʹ)
• Spanish: borrar (es), blanquear (es)
• Swedish: blanka (sv)

to prevent from scoring

• Bulgarian: бия на нула (bija na nula)

Derived terms

Terms derived from the adjective, noun, or verb blank

• blanagram
• blankable
• blank canvas
• blank-cartridge
• blank check
• blanken
• blank end
• blank-faced
• blankish
• blankless
• blankly
• blankness
• blank on
• blank out
• blank page
• blank sheet
• Blankshire
• blank signature
• blank slate
• Blanksville
• Blanktown
• blank verse
• Blankville
• draw a blank
• draw blank
• draw blanks
• fill in the blank
• in blank
• lens blank
• nonblank
• photoblank
• point-blank
• point blank
• proxy in blank
• reblank
• unblank

 

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch blank.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blaŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

blank (attributive blanke, comparative blanker, superlative blankste)

1. white
2. White; Caucasian

Antonyms

• swart

Dalmatian

Adjective

blank m (plural blanke, feminine blanka)

1. Alternative form of blanc

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German blank, from Old Saxon blank, from Proto-West Germanic *blank.

Adjective

blank

1. shiny, reflective, glossy

   Antonym: mat

2. (of e.g. paper) empty, blank, bearing no inscription or drawings
3. direct, without circumvention or additions
   • 2023 January 17, Malte Bruhn, Altinget‎^[10]:

     “En samlet opposition siger blankt nej til regeringens adgangsbillet til forsvarsforlig.”

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

4. (colloquial) broke (without money)

   Synonym: flad

5. (colloquial) ignorant, clueless

Inflection

Inflection of blank

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	blank	blankere	blankest2
indefinite neuter singular	blankt	blankere	blankest2
plural	blanke	blankere	blankest2
definite attributive1	blanke	blankere	blankeste

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “blank” in Den Danske Ordbog

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch blanc, from Old Dutch *blank, from Proto-West Germanic *blank, from Proto-Germanic *blankaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɑŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: blank
• Rhymes: -ɑŋk

Adjective

blank (comparative blanker, superlative blankst)

1. white, pale
2. white (having a light skin tone)

   Synonym: wit

   Coordinate terms: zwart, bruin, donker

3. not written or printed on

   Synonym: blanco

   Heb je nog een blank velletje papier voor me?

   Do you have a blank sheet of paper for me?

4. colorless, transparent
5. pure

Usage notes

• (having a light skin tone): Blank is the traditional word for “white” in Dutch, particularly in Europe, and is usually intended as a neutral descriptor. It is sometimes asserted to be tainted by the colonial era and to have a supposed connotation of cleanliness and purity. Certain people, particularly people of colour, activists, and media in Europe therefore prefer wit since the late 2010s, possibly influenced by English, although blank remains very common among white people. See Blank en wit in het racismedebat on the Dutch Wikipedia.

Declension

Declension of blank
uninflected	blank
inflected	blanke
comparative	blanker
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		blank	blanker	het blankst het blankste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	blanke	blankere	blankste
	n. sing.	blank	blanker	blankste
	plural	blanke	blankere	blankste
definite		blanke	blankere	blankste
partitive		blanks	blankers	—

Derived terms

• blank staan
• blankvoorn

Descendants

• Afrikaans: blank

German

Etymology

From Middle High German blanc, from Old High German blanc (“shining, bright”), from Proto-West Germanic *blank. Doublet of Plenk.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blaŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋk

Adjective

blank (strong nominative masculine singular blanker, comparative blanker, superlative am blanksten)

1. (archaic) bright
2. spotlessly clean; shining; polished

   Du musst die Platte blank scheuern.

   You must rub the platter until it is shining.

3. bare; naked; uncovered

   mit blankem Hintern ― with one’s behind uncovered

4. pure; sheer

   Blanke Wut packte ihn.

   Sheer anger seized him.

5. (colloquial) broke; out of money
6. (card games) being a player’s last one of a respective grouping of cards (which means that the card is unprotected when the player must follow suit in trick-taking games)

   Hätte ich Trumpf ausgespielt, wäre mein Fuchs blank gewesen.

   If I had played trump, my “fox” [ace of diamonds in Doppelkopf] would have been my last trump card.

Declension

Positive forms of blank

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist blank	sie ist blank	es ist blank	sie sind blank
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blanker	blanke	blankes	blanke
	genitive	blanken	blanker	blanken	blanker
	dative	blankem	blanker	blankem	blanken
	accusative	blanken	blanke	blankes	blanke
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blanke	die blanke	das blanke	die blanken
	genitive	des blanken	der blanken	des blanken	der blanken
	dative	dem blanken	der blanken	dem blanken	den blanken
	accusative	den blanken	die blanke	das blanke	die blanken
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blanker	eine blanke	ein blankes	(keine) blanken
	genitive	eines blanken	einer blanken	eines blanken	(keiner) blanken
	dative	einem blanken	einer blanken	einem blanken	(keinen) blanken
	accusative	einen blanken	eine blanke	ein blankes	(keine) blanken

Comparative forms of blank

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist blanker	sie ist blanker	es ist blanker	sie sind blanker
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blankerer	blankere	blankeres	blankere
	genitive	blankeren	blankerer	blankeren	blankerer
	dative	blankerem	blankerer	blankerem	blankeren
	accusative	blankeren	blankere	blankeres	blankere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blankere	die blankere	das blankere	die blankeren
	genitive	des blankeren	der blankeren	des blankeren	der blankeren
	dative	dem blankeren	der blankeren	dem blankeren	den blankeren
	accusative	den blankeren	die blankere	das blankere	die blankeren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blankerer	eine blankere	ein blankeres	(keine) blankeren
	genitive	eines blankeren	einer blankeren	eines blankeren	(keiner) blankeren
	dative	einem blankeren	einer blankeren	einem blankeren	(keinen) blankeren
	accusative	einen blankeren	eine blankere	ein blankeres	(keine) blankeren

Superlative forms of blank

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am blanksten	sie ist am blanksten	es ist am blanksten	sie sind am blanksten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	blankster	blankste	blankstes	blankste
	genitive	blanksten	blankster	blanksten	blankster
	dative	blankstem	blankster	blankstem	blanksten
	accusative	blanksten	blankste	blankstes	blankste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der blankste	die blankste	das blankste	die blanksten
	genitive	des blanksten	der blanksten	des blanksten	der blanksten
	dative	dem blanksten	der blanksten	dem blanksten	den blanksten
	accusative	den blanksten	die blankste	das blankste	die blanksten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein blankster	eine blankste	ein blankstes	(keine) blanksten
	genitive	eines blanksten	einer blanksten	eines blanksten	(keiner) blanksten
	dative	einem blanksten	einer blanksten	einem blanksten	(keinen) blanksten
	accusative	einen blanksten	eine blankste	ein blankstes	(keine) blanksten

Derived terms

• blitzblank

Further reading

• “blank” in Duden online
• “blank” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “blank” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Middle Low German blank.

Adjective

blank (masculine and feminine blank, neuter blankt, definite singular and plural blanke, comparative blankere, indefinite superlative blankest, definite superlative blankeste)

1. glossy, shining, shiny
2. bright, clear, glittering, sunny
3. blank (e.g. cheque, paper, mind)

Derived terms

• speilblank

References

• “blank” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “blank_1” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɑŋk/

Adjective

blank (neuter blankt, definite singular and plural blanke, comparative blankare, indefinite superlative blankast, definite superlative blankaste)

1. shiny, reflective

   Dei pussa sølvtøyet så det vart blankt.

   They shined the silver until it was shiny.

2. exactly, point zero (of time)

   Han sprang 100 meter på ti blank.

   He ran 100 meters in ten point zero seconds.

3. blank, empty

   Ho gav dottera eit blankt ark til å teikna på.

   She gave her daughter a blank piece of paper to draw on.

4. without knowledge about something

   Eg er heilt blank om dette temaet.

   I know nothing about this subject.

References

• “blank” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Plautdietsch

Etymology

From Middle Low German blank, from Old Saxon blank, from Proto-West Germanic *blank.

Adjective

blank

1. shiny, lustrous, glittering

Silesian

Etymology

Borrowed from German blank.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈblaŋk/
• Rhymes: -aŋk
• Syllabification: blank

Adverb

blank

1. completely, entirely, wholly
2. necessarily
3. very

Further reading

• blank in silling.org
• Barbara Podgórska, Adam Podgóski (2008) “blank”, in Słownik gwar śląskich [A dictionary of Silesian lects], Katowice: Wydawnictwo KOS, →ISBN, page 39

Swedish

Etymology

From Middle Low German blank, from Old Saxon blank, from Proto-West Germanic *blank. Displaced native Swedish black, from Old Norse blakkr.

Adjective

blank (comparative blankare, superlative blankast)

1. smooth and shiny, glossy

   en blank yta

   a smooth and shiny surface

   polera ytan blank

   polish the surface smooth and shiny

   blank is / blankis

   smooth, shiny (and sometimes by implication slippery) ice

   Pokalen var skinande blank

   The trophy was smooth, clean, and super shiny / had a spotless shine ("skinande blank" (shining blank) is a common collocation)

2. blank (without text, of something ordinarily having text)

   en blank sida

   a blank page

3. (in some expressions) unequivocal, straight-up

   Jag säger blankt nej

   I reject it absolutely

Inflection

Inflection of blank

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	blank	blankare	blankast
neuter singular	blankt	blankare	blankast
plural	blanka	blankare	blankast
masculine plural2	blanke	blankare	blankast
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	blanke	blankare	blankaste
all	blanka	blankare	blankaste

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Derived terms

• ge blanka fan

Related terms

• blänka

References

• blank in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• blank in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• blank in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• blank in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)