blind spot

noun

1

a

: the small circular area at the back of the retina where the optic nerve enters the eyeball and which is devoid of rods and cones and is not sensitive to light

called also optic disc

see eye illustration

b

: a portion of a field that cannot be seen or inspected with available equipment

2

: an area in which one fails to exercise judgment or discrimination

Examples of blind spot in a Sentence

When driving on the highway, you need to make sure no one is in your blind spot before changing lanes.

She has a blind spot concerning her son's behavior.

Recent Examples on the Web

Cloud assets can be vast, and a lack of visibility can create blind spots where threats lurk. —Karen Kim, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

Backlash on multiple fronts These political and cultural blind spots have spurred a backlash among Mexican moviegoers. —Alejandra Marquez Guajardo, The Conversation, 14 Feb. 2025

Read the story » What the war in Gaza has revealed about American Judaism: Isaac Chotiner interviews the journalist Peter Beinart about the story of Israel and the moral blind spot of the Jewish diaspora. —Ian Crouch, The New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2025

Whether this created a blind spot with Shanahan in objectively assessing Samuel’s contribution is up for debate. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for blind spot

• allot
• barat
• begot
• besought
• bethought
• bloodshot
• boycott
• buckshot
• crackpot
• croat
• culottes
• dashpot

Kids Definition

blind spot

noun

1

a

: a point in the retina through which the optic nerve enters and which does not respond to light

b

: a part of an area that cannot be seen with available equipment

2

: an area of weakness (as in judgment)

Medical Definition

blind spot

noun

: the small circular area in the retina where the optic nerve enters the eye that is devoid of rods and cones and is insensitive to light

called also optic disc