buying blindly; buying without seeing the goods
Sensitive term; can be offensive. Refers to purchasing something without inspecting it first, often used in contexts like online shopping or auctions. Modern Japanese may prefer 現物を見ずに買う or similar phrases.
Buying blindly at online auctions is risky.
Compound of 盲 (めくら, 'blind') and 買い (かい, 'buying'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word literally means 'blind buying'.