blare

blare v

1  Of a cow or calf or occas sheep: to low or bleat; hence vbl n blaring. [OED2 blare v. 1 “To roar with prolonged sound in weeping, as a child; to bellow as a calf. Now chiefly dial.” c1440→ (1535→ in ref to cattle)] chiefly Nth, esp sNH, neMS old-fash Cf blate n

1882 Chapman Geneal. Folsom 243 seNH (as of 1744), One named Plasawa . . went into the house and stabbed her in the breast. He said “She blared like a calf.” 1903 DN 2.295 Cape Cod MA (as of a1857), Blare. . . Bellow, of a cow or calf. 1907 DN 3.181 seNH, Blare. . . To bellow (used of cows). “I can’t stand that cow’s blaring any longer.” 1937 Weygandt NH Neighbors 86, All I could say was: ‘Well, ma’am, I couldn’t help their blaring. The Lord made the cows.’ 1939 LANE Map 194 (Moo), The map shows the verbs . . used to designate the sound made by a cow during feeding, when crying to be fed or under other circumstances. . . 4 infs, scattered NEng, Blare, blaring. Ibid Map 195 (Blat), The map shows the verbs . . used to designate the cry of a calf when it is being weaned, when it is taken from its mother, or sometimes under other circumstances. . . 24 infs, 15 sNH, neMA, Blare, blaring. 1967–68 DARE (Qq. K19, ~21, Noise made by a calf that’s taken away from its mother; The noise a cow makes, calling for her calf) Inf NV1, Blare; (Qu. K66, The noise made by a sheep) Infs MO36, NV1, Blare. [All Infs old] 1973 Allen LAUM 1.252 (as of c1950), Bawl (of a calf being weaned). . . Blare, a New England equivalent not reported by fieldworkers, seems to be the term used by 14 respondents [to a mailed checklist], 8 in Minnesota, 2 in northern Iowa, and 2 in South Dakota. A Northern bias is evident.

2  also with ~out: To speak angrily, yell. [EDD blare v. 3 “To speak loudly, to shout in a rude or angry manner.”]

1908 DN 3.291 eAL, wGA, Blare (out). . . To break forth in vituperation. “What did you blare out on me for?” 2000 Shores Tangier Is. 235 Chesapeake Bay, Mom’s always blaring at him (yelling).

3  often in comb blare open: To open (esp the eyes) wide; hence ppl adj blared (open) wide open. [Cf EDD blare v. 5 “To protrude, thrust out the tongue; also used of the eyes.”] chiefly Sth Cf blare eye n, blare-eyed adj

1879 Comstock Rept. Cotton Insects 487 MS, Lice are sometimes very injurious in the spring; and in the season of production the “blare-worm,” a small worm that perforates the “square” about the time of blooming and causes the “square” to stand blared open and to drop off. 1889 (1891) King Stories Country Dr. 268 MO, As soon as he saw me he arose to a sitting posture and blaring his eyes and throwing his hands up and down he uttered an “oo-ah, oo-ah, oo-ah, oo-ah.” 1893 Collins Chapters Unwritten Hist. 163 TX, Just across the road we found a Confederate, still in death, yet sitting with his back against a tree, his eyes blared wide open. 1912 Green VA Folk-Speech 86, Blare. . . To open wide: “The door was blared wide open.” 1927 Glenn Little Pitchers 3 GA, He could see, when he looked in a mirror and blared them wide open, that his eyes were perfectly round. 1943 Robesonian (Lumberton NC) 3 Mar 3/1, All of them went in home with their eyes blared open and their tongues a’hanging out. 1964 Faulkner Hamlet 309 MS, That varmint in the door behind me blaring its eyes at me. 1966 DARE (Qu. X21a, What words are used to describe people according to their eyes—for example, if they stick out?) Inf FL26, Blared eyes. 1970 Foxfire Spring–Summer 16 nGA, When they [=raccoons] first come out an’ hit th’fresh air, they’ll just blare their mouth like a possum grinnin’ an’ they’ll fall over. 1973 Foxfire 2 304 nGA, Aunt Arie told us . . of a neighbor who was shot during a fight and died with his eyes open—“blared,” she called it. 1999 Browne Sweet Potato Queens’ 40 MS, My sister, Judy, has always said that she would like to lie in state, propped up in her coffin with her eyes blared wide open.

4  also in comb blare open; Esp of the eyes: to open wide, flare. chiefly Sth Cf blare eye n, blare-eyed adj

1912 Smart Set Sept 99, Narn had given her [=a horse] the first stroke of a whip. It had set her on fire; for half a breath she had stood still, shaking, her nostrils blaring, her eyes gleaming below batted ears. 1930 Faulkner As I Lay Dying 179 MS, “You won’t help me?” Jewel says, them white eyes of hisn kind of blaring and his face shaking like he had a aguer. 1958 Monahans News (TX) 2 Oct 1/1, “If this happens,” continued Chesty, “our intentions will have blared open like a morning glory and folded like a parachute.” 1964 in 1971 O’Connor Complete Stories 523 GA, “No no!” Parker said. “Trace it now or gimme my money back,” and his eyes blared as if he were ready for a fight. 1981 NADS Letters neLA, Horses eyes often blare, in fear, and sometimes in anger.