Noun

(uncountable) The condition of being weak.

(countable) An inadequate quality; fault

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=20 citation , passage=The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness , mean and embarrassing and sad.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2013, date=January 22, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC

, title= Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4) , passage=Bradford had preyed on Villa's inability to defend set pieces, corners in particular, in their first-leg win and took advantage of the weakness again as Hanson equalised to restore their two-goal aggregate lead.}}

(countable) A special fondness or desire.

Noun

(es)

A small flaw which spoils the appearance of something, a stain, a spot.

* 1769 , Oxford Standard Text, , 22, xix,

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

* 1997 , Jean Soler, 5: The Semiotics of Food in the Bible'', Carole Counihan, Penny Van Esterik (editors), ''Food and Culture: A Reader , page 61,

Any foot shape deviating from this model is conceived as a blemish , and the animal is unclean.

* 2003 , A. K. Forrest, Chapter 6: Surface Defect Detection on Ceramics'', Mark Graves, Bruce Batchelor (editors), ''Machine Vision for the Inspection of Natural Products , page 193,

There are a very large number of types of blemish' and the smallest ' blemish visible to a human can be surprisingly small, for example less than 10?m deep, which may be on the surface of a heavily embossed tile.

* 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.

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.