From Middle English blemisshen, blemissen, from Old French blemir, stem of Old French blemir, blesmir (French blêmir), from Old Frankish *blesmijan, *blasmijan, from Old Frankish *blasmī, from Proto-Germanic *blasaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-.

• IPA: /ˈblɛmɪʃ/

blemish (plural blemishes)

1. A small flaw which spoils the appearance of something, a stain, a spot.
   • 1769, Oxford Standard Text, “King James Bible”, in Leviticus, 22, xix:

     Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

   • 2011, Robert Jones, Makeup Makeovers Beauty Bible: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations‎, page 119:

     It comes as a surprise to some people, but blemishes can strike at any age. To minimize the appearance of facial blemishes or pimples, use a concealer with a dry texture; it will cling to the blemish better, last throughout the day, and not irritate the skin or initiate more breakouts.

2. A moral defect; a character flaw.
   • 1825, A Sermon, The Christian Magazine‎, volume 2, page 298:

     As piety is the peculiar ornament of old people, so the want of it is a peculiar blemish in their character.

   • 2003, Todd F. Heatherton, The Social Psychology of Stigma‎, page 103:

     The processes of categorization, stereotyping, discrimination, and self-fulfilling prophecy can also apply to stigmas based on blemishes of individual character.

   • 2008, Annette Baier, Death and Character: Further Reflections on Hume‎, page 46:

     There is no reason to think that the enlivening possible blemish was his hypocritical show of repentance, since there are so many other candidate blemishes to choose among.

• See also Thesaurus:defect

• blemished (adjective)
• blemishless
• blemishment
• emblemishment (obsolete)

• French: tache, imperfection
• German: Makel, Schönheitsfehler
• Italian: macchia
• Portuguese: mácula, mancha
• Russian: изъя́н
• Spanish: mancha, marca, (on fruit) maca

• French: tache, défaut
• German: Makel
• Russian: пятно́
• Spanish: defecto, lacra, mancilla

blemish (blemishes, present participle blemishing; simple past and past participle blemished)

1. (transitive) To spoil the appearance of.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC ↗:

     we see ordinarie examples by this licence which wonderfully blemisheth the authoritie and lustre of our law, never to stay upon one sentence, but to run from one to another judge, to decide one same case.

2. (transitive) To tarnish (reputation, character, etc.); to defame.
   • 1600, Francis Vere, Commentaries of the Divers Pieces of Service:

     There had nothing passed betwixt us that might blemish reputation.

• Russian: по́ртить
• Spanish: manchar, perjudicar