blends

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of blend.

   The roaster offers a dozen seasonal blends throughout the year.

   Premium whisky blends draw on barrels of varying ages.

   Note

   Both countable meanings share this plural. One is mixtures such as teas, tobaccos or paints. The other is the linguist's blends: words fused from two others, in the manner of a portmanteau. The spelling is identical to the present-tense verb, so context decides. In "the roaster's blends" it names products; in "she blends coffee" it describes the act.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of blend.

   The artist blends bright pigments to create soft transitions between shades.

   A skilled mediator blends firmness with patience during tense negotiations.

   Note

   A verb form that works in two directions. Used transitively, someone blends things together: the cook blends the spices. Used intransitively, things blend on their own: the hillside blends into the haze. The old meaning of spoiling or staining by mixture is obsolete, so the modern form carries no hint of contamination.

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