blindside

• blind-side

blind +‎ side

• IPA^(key): /ˈblaɪndˌsaɪd/

• Audio (US)

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blindside (plural blindsides)

1. (automotive) A driver's field of blindness around an automobile; the side areas behind the driver.
2. (figuratively) A person's weak point.
3. (rugby) The space on the side of the pitch with the shorter distance between the breakdown/set piece and the touchline; compare openside.
4. (rugby union) Short for blindside flanker, a position in rugby union, usually number 6.

   The blindside packs down at the scrum on the blindside.

   • 2011 September 24, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 67-3 Romania”, in BBC Sport‎:

     However, after an inside pass from Moody to Tom Croft and a surge from the England blind-side, number eight James Haskell was eventually pinged from in front of the posts for not releasing.

• (a driver's field of blindness): blindspot

blindside (third-person singular simple present blindsides, present participle blindsiding, simple past and past participle blindsided)

1. (transitive) To attack (a person) on his or her blind side.

   The robbers crept out of the forest and blindsided the traveller.

2. (transitive, figuratively, informal) To catch off guard; to take by surprise.

   He had completed his plan to develop a new office building, but was blindsided by the sudden drop in real estate values.

• For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:blindside.