bles, noun

Plurals:
blesse/ˈblesə/.
Origin:
DutchShow more Dutch, blaze (of a horse).
A white blaze on the face of a horse or other animal. Also attributive, passing into adjective.
Note:
Common in speech.
1824 [see blesbok].
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 13 Dec. 1931 brown Mare, with a white bles, two white legs.
1837 N. Polson Subaltern’s Sick Leave 128The game found here consists of immense herds of blesbok or bontibok, so called from the blaze or bles on their faces.
1880 Alice Times 27 Feb.Strayed...A Chestnut mare, with kol bles, marks of reim on both knees, branded A.P. on left side of neck.
1905 W.L. Sclater in Flint & Gilchrist Science in S. Afr. 134The Blesmol (Georychus capensis)..is common in gardens where it ravages bulbs and potato tubers; it is so called from the ‘bles’ or white spot on the top of its head.
1906 A.H. Watkins From Farm to Forum 55Those are his ‘bles’ (white-faced) horses; but where has he come by a splinter new spider like that?
1940 Baumann & Bright Lost Republic 231There were blesbok, called so because of the ‘bles’ or white mark right down their noses.
A white blaze on the face of a horse or other animal. Also attributive, passing into adjective.
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18321940