Blis"ter (&?;), n. [OE.; akin to OD.
bluyster, fr. the same root as blast, bladder,
blow. See Blow to eject wind.] 1. A
vesicle of the skin, containing watery matter or serum, whether occasioned
by a burn or other injury, or by a vesicatory; a collection of serous fluid
causing a bladderlike elevation of the cuticle.
And painful blisters swelled my tender hands.
Grainger.
2. Any elevation made by the separation of the film
or skin, as on plants; or by the swelling of the substance at the surface,
as on steel.
3. A vesicatory; a plaster of Spanish flies, or
other matter, applied to raise a blister. Dunglison.
Blister beetle, a beetle used to raise blisters,
esp. the Lytta (or Cantharis) vesicatoria, called Cantharis
or Spanish fly by druggists. See Cantharis. --
Blister fly, a blister beetle. --
Blister plaster, a plaster designed to raise a
blister; -- usually made of Spanish flies. -- Blister
steel, crude steel formed from wrought iron by cementation; -
- so called because of its blistered surface. Called also blistered
steel. -- Blood blister. See under
Blood.
Blis"ter, v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Blistered (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Blistering.] To be affected with a blister or blisters; to have
a blister form on.
Let my tongue blister.
Shak.
Blis"ter, v. t. 1. To
raise a blister or blisters upon.
My hands were blistered.
Franklin.
2. To give pain to, or to injure, as if by a
blister.
This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongue.
Shak.
