blick

present singular third person blicks · participle present blicking · participle past blicked · past blicked

1. transitiveTo shine, gleam.

   The lancing sunlight blicked sharps of light from the scattering of sand on the marble of the plinth.

   2006, Hugh Cook, The Witchlord and the Weaponmaster, page 646

   1 more example

   Shirley Steynes Bluey took a deep breath as he entered the main street; nothing new under the sun-lamp as white pinks blicked across the street in a line of heat-glazed asterisks

   1978, Michael Wilding, The Tabloid Story Pocket Book, page 82

2. ambitransitivenonce wordTo make, or cause to make, a soft, crisp sound.

   He pulled out a cigarette lighter and blicked it.

   2005, Clyde White, Garbage Angel: Sarah's Story, page 16

   2 more examples

   The recorder blicked off, and the tape hissed to the end of the reel in silence.

   1988, Sheila Radley, The chief inspector's daughter, page 171

   On her first day, as she walked into work[…][s]he blicked-in at the time clock[…]

   2014, Lynn Russell, The sweethearts, page 231 (large print edition)

plural blicks

1. The brightening or iridescence appearing on silver or gold at the end of the cupelling or refinishing process.

   Commonly, as it cools, it emits a sudden gleam or flash of light[…]but as this gleam or “blick” is exhibited by gold as well as by silver[…]

   1881, Edward John Chapman, Practical Instructions for the Determination by Furnace Assay of Gold and Silver in Rocks and Ores, page 46

   4 more examples

   The nearer the process approaches to the “Blick,” the slower is the formation of litharge, till at last it can only be continued by a very strong fire.

   1870, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, page 417

   It was also found advantageous not to complete cupellations in the cupel furnace, but to stop the operation some time before the Blick, and to transfer the alloy to the refining furnace, in which cupellation is completed and the silver refined;

   1874, John Arthur Phillips, Elements of Metallurgy, page 511

   When the last of the lead separates, and the button is not smaller than a pin-head, there is a brilliant play of colors, then the button becomes dull; this is known as the "blick," "brightening," "fulguration," or "coruscation."

   1888 May, Frederick W. Clark, “Notes on Assaying of Lead, Silver, and Gold”, in Technology Quarterly, volume 1, page 338

   When the blick ( or coloured films ) just disappears, close the doors for a few minutes and then remove the cupels, taking the usual precautions against the button spitting.

   1903, William A. Macleod, Charles Walker, Metallurgical Analysis and Assaying, page 268

present singular third person blicks · participle present blicking · participle past blicked · past blicked

1. intransitiveOf gold or silver, to exhibit blick.

   As the last of the lead is oxidized the iridescence suddenly disappears and the surface brightens or “blicks."

   1914, Edward Garfield Mahin, Quantitative Analysis, page 483

   2 more examples

   When the cupellation is nearly finished, a play of colors is seen, and the button [sc. of silver] suddenly brightens or “blicks,” and becomes white, and is free from lead.

   1870, Karl Remigius Fresenius, System of instruction in quantitative chemical analysis, § 226, page 530

   The English cupelling furnaces are used; the bars of rich bullion being fed continually until the silver blicks, the litharge running into small iron pots for removal.

   1881, United States. Bureau of the Mint ·, Report of the Director of the Mint Upon the Statistics of the Production of the Precious Metals in the United States, page 355

plural blicks

1. A sawed-off length of something.

   And we used the saw to cut down the snow in little blicks.

   1999, Erno Rossi, White Death - Blizzard of '77, page 116

   2 more examples

   Witness here described many blicks of wood cut out of trees on this line showing ages of marks.

   1832, Cornelia G. Goodrich et al. Vs. West Lumber Company, Records and Briefs of the United States Supreme Court, page 113

   Method of producing short boards as boards for boxes, cases or the like, characterized by the fact that the log previous to or after the ends thereof being cut away as usual is cut into short logs or blicks of about the length of the boards to be produced,

   1914, Frans Hugo Johansson, “No. 158,342 Short Board Production”, in The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights, page 3031

plural blicks

1. Multicultural London EnglishslangA pistol.

   Fix up, look sharp. Don't make me get the blicks out, get dark.

   2003 July 21, “Fix Up, Look Sharp” (track 6), in Boy In Da Corner, performed by Dizzy Rascal

   Synonyms: blicky

present singular third person blicks · participle present blicking · participle past blicked · past blicked

1. Multicultural London EnglishslangtransitiveTo shoot up (fire bullets at).

   I'ma blick niggas all in they coffin

   2024 April 30, “Euphoria” (5:28 from the start)performed by Kendrick Lamar

   1 more example

   Thinkin' like Roddy, got a stick in the box (Roddy) / Hide in another car, we just blickin' the opps (Bah)

   2023 May 24, “Bounce”, PGF Nuk (lyrics)