Commentary: Includes abstract and metaphorical usages (Note in last example that the blunting of the knife is not physical or literal; the meaning is that the "feeling" made the butcher's use of his knife less effective)
Examples:
Short-term immobilization blunted the rise in plasma CK after eccentric exercise.
Caution may have blunted the pen of some cartoonists.
The break above 3100 has blunted the earlier bearish outlook.
I would say the drugs haved blunted his personality.
The best kind of education would be that which hardened his skin and blunted his sympathies.
But some unwonted feeling numbed the butcher's fingers, and blunted his knife.
Mappings:
VerbNet: other_cos-45.4
FrameNet: NM
PropBank: blunt.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 1, 2, 5
Commentary: Includes physical dulling of sharp edges
Examples:
His pack was still on his back, he blunted his knife scraping at the hard surface.
These chops basically only blunted the edge, which suffered chipping.
So all the stainless knives blunted quickly.
Mappings:
VerbNet: other_cos-45.4
FrameNet: Cause_to_be_sharp
PropBank: blunt.01
WordNet 3.0 Sense Numbers: 3, 4