blank — empty or containing nothing; showing no expression
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: empty or containing nothing; showing no expression
Pronunciation (IPA): /blæŋk/
Example Sentences
- The student's mind went blank during the math test, just like his bank account after buying too much coffee.
- She gave him a blank look when he suggested they split the bill on their first date.
- The teacher handed out blank test papers and half the class immediately panicked.
blank
ADJECTIVE[/blæŋk/]
empty or containing nothing; showing no expression
Empty paper, expressionless face
The tank's screens went blank as it sank
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from 14th-century French 'blanc', meaning white. The semantic shift from the color white to the concept of emptiness occurred through the metaphorical association of blank white paper with an unmarked, unfilled state.
Breakdown
blanc (white) → blank (empty, unmarked). The suffix change from -c to -k reflects English phonetic adaptation of the French source, while the meaning evolved from the physical property of color to the abstract notion of absence or lack of content.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The student's mind went blank during the math test, just like his bank account after buying too much coffee.”
“She gave him a blank look when he suggested they split the bill on their first date.”
“The teacher handed out blank test papers and half the class immediately panicked.”
“He tried to remember his girlfriend's birthday but drew a complete blank.”
📚Related Words
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