A blotch or stain, especially on skin or fabric; a discolored or blemished spot.
Origin uncertain, possibly from Middle English blend of 'black' and 'patch' or related to Old Norse 'blettr' meaning spot. The word emerged in English dialects around the 16th century to describe visible marks or discolorations.
This word is rarely used today, but it's a perfect example of how English speakers invented words by smushing sounds together—'blatch' combines the sense of something dark ('bl-') with sudden appearance ('—atch'). It shows how our language keeps reinventing itself even for things we now call 'stains' or 'blotches.'
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