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

Data shines a spotlight on blind spots and reveals tangible patterns and trends that might not be evident through intuition alone. —Naveen Singh, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The bottom line: Drivers should be aware of their blind spots (especially when turning left), pedestrians are encouraged to wear bright, reflective clothing at night, and we're all expected to stay alert and off our phones. —Meira Gebel, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024

The 2025 Nissan Sentra comes with the company's Safety Shield 360 package that includes automatic forward emergency braking, blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, rear automatic braking and lane departure warning. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

But his critics on the left, many of them of color, have long pointed out these very blind spots in his work—the parochialism of his politics and his reticence where Muslim, and particularly Palestinian, death and suffering were concerned. —Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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