Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » blow

blow

Listen See in Thesaurus See in a sentence

To blow is to expel air in a more foreceful manner or air movement. (verb)

An example of blow is when you use your mouth to expel air to make the candles on your birthday cake go out.
An example of blow is when the wind comes along and causes the leaves to move in the trees.

A blow is a hard hit or upsetting news or receiving upsetting information. (noun)

An example of blow is when you are hit by a baseball in the head.
An example of a blow is when you were expecting to go on a trip and you find out the plane has been cancelled and the hotel burned down.

See blow in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb blew, blown, blowing

to move with some force: said of the wind or a current of air
to send forth air with or as with the mouth
to pant; be breathless
to make or give sound by blowing or being blown
to exhale air and condensed moisture from the lungs in a spout through the blowhole: said of whales
to be carried by the wind or a current of air: the paper blew away
to be stormy
to burst suddenly, as a tire, or melt, as a fuse: often with out
to lay eggs: said of flies
Informal to brag; boast
☆ Slang to go away; leave
Jazz, Slang to improvise
Slang to cease functioning, esp. by overuse: said of an engine, etc.

transitive verb

to cause air to come from (a bellows, blower, etc.)
to send out (breath, tobacco smoke, etc.) from the mouth
to force air onto, into, or through
to drive by blowing
1. to sound (a wind instrument) by blowing
2. to make (a sound or signal) by blowing
to cool, warm, dry, or soothe by blowing on or toward
to shape or form (glass, soap bubbles, etc.) by blown air or gas
to clean or clear by blowing through: to blow one's nose
to cause to burst or break by an explosion
to cause (a horse) to pant
to lay or deposit eggs in: said of flies
to melt (a fuse, etc.)
Informal to spend (money) freely or wastefully; squander
Informal to treat (to something)
☆ Informal to forget or fluff (one's lines) in a show
☆ Slang to go away from; leave: he blew town
☆ Slang to bungle and fail in: we had our chance and blew it
blowedSlang to damn: used in euphemistic oaths
Slang to inhale (cocaine, marijuana, etc.)
Slang to reveal or disclose, esp. so as to compromise: they blew our cover
Slang, Vulgar to perform fellatio on
Slang to cause (an engine, transmission, etc.) to cease functioning, esp. by overuse

noun

the act of blowing
a blast of air
Metallurgy
1. the blast of air forced through molten metal to remove impurities
2. the time or stage in metal refining in which the blast of air is forced through molten metal
3. the amount of metal that is refined during this time
a strong wind; gale
a boast
Slang cocaine

noun

a hard hit or stroke with the fist, a weapon, etc.
a sudden attack or forcible effort
any sudden calamity or misfortune; shock

intransitive verb blew, blown, blowing

Archaic to blossom

noun

a mass of blossoms
the state of flowering

See blow in American Heritage Dictionary 4

(blō)

verb blew blew (blo͞o), blown blown (blōn), blow·ing, blows

verb, intransitive

To be in a state of motion. Used of the air or of wind.
To move along or be carried by or as if by the wind: Her hat blew away.
To expel a current of air, as from the mouth or from a bellows.
To produce a sound by expelling a current of air, as in sounding a wind instrument or a whistle.
To breathe hard; pant.
To storm: It blew all night.
To release air or gas suddenly; burst or explode: The tire blew.
a. To fail or break down, as from being operated under extreme or improper conditions: The furnace blew during the cold snap.
b. To melt or otherwise become disabled. Used of a fuse.
To spout moist air from the blowhole. Used of a whale.
Informal To boast.
Slang To go away; depart.

verb, transitive

To cause to move by means of a current of air.
To expel (air) from the mouth.
To cause air or gas to be expelled suddenly from: blew a tire.
To drive a current of air on, in, or through: blew my hair dry after I shampooed it.
To clear out or make free of obstruction by forcing air through: constantly blowing his nose in allergy season.
To shape or form (glass, for example) by forcing air or gas through at the end of a pipe.
Music
a. To cause (a wind instrument) to sound.
b. To sound: a bugle blowing taps.
a. To cause to be out of breath.
b. To allow (a winded horse) to regain its breath.
To demolish by the force of an explosion: An artillery shell blew our headquarters apart.
To lay or deposit eggs in. Used of certain insects.
a. To cause to fail or break down, as by operating at extreme or improper conditions: blew the engine on the last lap.
b. To cause (a fuse) to melt or become disabled.
Slang
a. To spend (money) freely and rashly. See Synonyms at waste.
b. To spend money freely on; treat: blew me to a sumptuous dinner.
Vulgar Slang To perform fellatio on.
a. Slang To spoil or lose through ineptitude. See Synonyms at botch.
b. To cause (a covert intelligence operation or operative) to be revealed and thereby jeopardized: a story in the press that blew their cover; an agent who was blown by the opposition.
Slang To depart (a place) in a great hurry: Let's blow this city no later than noon.

noun

The act or an instance of blowing.
a. A blast of air or wind.
b. A storm.
Informal An act of bragging.
Slang Cocaine.

Phrasal Verbs: blow away Slang To kill by shooting, especially with a firearm. To defeat decisively. To affect intensely; overwhelm: That concert blew me away. blow in Slang To arrive, especially when unexpected. blow off To relieve or release (pressure); let off. Slang To choose not to attend or accompany: They wanted us to come along, but we blew them off. blow out To extinguish or be extinguished by a gust of air: blow out a candle. To fail, as an electrical apparatus. To erupt in an uncontrolled manner. Used of a gas or oil well. blow over To subside, wane, or pass over with little lasting effect: The storm blew over quickly. The scandal will soon blow over. blow up To come into being: A storm blew up. To fill with air; inflate: blow up a tire. To enlarge (a photographic image or print). To explode: bombs blowing up. To lose one's temper.

(blō)

noun