From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Blemish \Blem"ish\, noun; pl. {Blemishes}. Any mark of deformity or injury, whether physical or moral; anything that diminishes beauty, or renders imperfect that which is otherwise well formed; that which impairs reputation.
He shall take two he lambs without blemish, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish. --Lev. xiv. 10.
The reliefs of an envious man are those little blemishes and imperfections that discover themselves in an illustrious character. --Spectator.
Syn: Spot; speck; flaw; deformity; stain; defect; fault; taint; reproach; dishonor; imputation; disgrace.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Blemish \Blem"ish\, verb (used with an object) [imp. & p. p. {Blemished}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Blemishing}.] [OE. blemissen, blemishen, OF. blemir, blesmir, to strike, injure, soil, F. bl[^e]mir to grow pale, fr. OF. bleme, blesme, pale, wan, F. bl[^e]me, prob. fr. Icel bl[=a]man the livid color of a wound, fr. bl[=a]r blue; akin to E. blue. OF. blemir properly signifies to beat one (black and) blue, and to render blue or dirty. See {Blue}.]
1. To mark with deformity; to injure or impair, as anything which is well formed, or excellent; to mar, or make defective, either the body or mind.
Sin is a soil which blemisheth the beauty of thy soul. --Brathwait.
2. To tarnish, as reputation or character; to defame.
There had nothing passed between us that might blemish reputation. --Oldys.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body); "a facial blemish" [syn: {defect}, {mar}]
verb
1: mar or spoil the appearance of; "scars defaced her cheeks"; "The vandals disfigured the statue" [syn: {deface}, {disfigure}]
2: mar or impair with a flaw; "her face was blemished" [syn: {spot}]
3: add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective [syn: {flaw}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
251 Moby Thesaurus words for "blemish": abrade, abrasion, baboon, bag, bark, besmirch, birthmark, black sheep, blaze, blaze a trail, blister, bloody, blot, blotch, brand, break, bruise, bug, burn, caste mark, catch, chafe, chalk, chalk up, check, check off, checkmark, chip, cicatrix, cicatrize, claw, concussion, crack, crackle, craze, cut, damage, dapple, dash, deface, defect, defection, deficiency, define, deform, delimit, demarcate, discolor, discoloration, disfigure, disfigurement, disproportion, distort, dog, dot, drawback, dysphemize, earmark, engrave, engraving, erratum, error, eyesore, failing, failure, fault, faute, flash burn, flaw, fleck, flick, foible, foreign body, foreign intruder, fracture, frailty, fray, frazzle, freckle, fret, fright, gall, gargoyle, gash, graving, hack, hag, harm, harridan, hatch, hole, hurt, impair, impairment, imperfection, impress, imprint, impurity, inadequacy, incise, incision, infirmity, injure, injury, intruder, jot, kink, lacerate, laceration, lentigo, lesion, line, little problem, look a fright, look a mess, look bad, look like hell, look something terrible, macula, maim, make a mark, make mincemeat of, mar, mark, mark off, mark out, marking, maul, mess, misfit, misshape, mole, monkey wrench, monster, monstrosity, mortal wound, mote, mottle, mutilate, mutilation, nevus, nick, no beauty, notch, oddball, offend, offend the eye, patch, pencil, pepper, pierce, pockmark, point, polka dot, prejudice, prick, print, problem, punch, punctuate, puncture, rend, rent, riddle, rift, rip, run, rupture, savage, scab, scald, scar, scarecrow, scarification, scarify, scorch, score, scotch, scrape, scratch, scratching, scuff, seal, seam, second-degree burn, shortcoming, sight, skin, slash, slit, sliver, smear, snag, something missing, sore, speck, speckle, splash, splinter, split, splotch, spoil, spot, sprain, stab, stab wound, stain, stamp, stick, stigma, stigmatize, stone, strain, strawberry mark, streak, striate, stripe, sully, taint, tarnish, tattoo, tattoo mark, tear, teratism, third-degree burn, tick, tick off, tittle, trace, trauma, traumatize, truncate, twist, uglify, ugly duckling, underline, underscore, vice, vitiate, vulnerable place, warp, wart, watermark, weak link, weak point, weakness, weed, witch, wound, wounds immedicable, wrench
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:
Blemish imperfection or bodily deformity excluding men from the priesthood, and rendering animals unfit to be offered in sacrifice (Lev. 21:17-23; 22:19-25). The Christian church, as justified in Christ, is "without blemish" (Eph. 5:27). Christ offered himself a sacrifice "without blemish," acceptable to God (1 Pet. 1:19).
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