blow

To blow is to expel air in a more forceful manner or air movement.

(verb)

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

The definition of a blow is a hard hit or upsetting news, or receiving upsetting information.

(noun)

  1. An example of blow is when you are hit by a baseball in the head.
  2. 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.

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2013 by LoveToKnow Corp.

See blow in Webster's New World College Dictionary

intransitive verb blew, blown, blowing

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

Origin: ME blowen < OE blawan < IE *bhlē-: see blast

transitive verb

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

noun

  1. the act of blowing
  2. a blast of air
  3. 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
  4. a strong wind; gale
  5. a boast
  6. Slang cocaine

noun

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

Origin: ME blowe, akin to Ger bleuen, Goth bliggwan, to strike

intransitive verb blew, blown, blowing

Archaic to blossom

Origin: ME blowen < OE blowan; akin to Ger blühen: for IE base see bloom

noun

  1. a mass of blossoms
  2. the state of flowering

See blow in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb blew blew (blo͞o), blown blown (blōn), blow·ing, blows
verb, intransitive
  1. To be in a state of motion. Used of the air or of wind.
  2. To move along or be carried by or as if by the wind: Her hat blew away.
  3. To expel a current of air, as from the mouth or from a bellows.
  4. To produce a sound by expelling a current of air, as in sounding a wind instrument or a whistle.
  5. To breathe hard; pant.
  6. To storm: It blew all night.
  7. To release air or gas suddenly; burst or explode: The tire blew.
  8. 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.
  9. To spout moist air from the blowhole. Used of a whale.
  10. Informal To boast.
  11. Slang To go away; depart.
verb, transitive
  1. To cause to move by means of a current of air.
  2. To expel (air) from the mouth.
  3. To cause air or gas to be expelled suddenly from: blew a tire.
  4. To drive a current of air on, in, or through: blew my hair dry after I shampooed it.
  5. To clear out or make free of obstruction by forcing air through: constantly blowing his nose in allergy season.
  6. To shape or form (glass, for example) by forcing air or gas through at the end of a pipe.
  7. Music
    a. To cause (a wind instrument) to sound.
    b. To sound: a bugle blowing taps.
  8. a. To cause to be out of breath.
    b. To allow (a winded horse) to regain its breath.
  9. To demolish by the force of an explosion: An artillery shell blew our headquarters apart.
  10. To lay or deposit eggs in. Used of certain insects.
  11. 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.
  12. 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.
  13. Vulgar Slang To perform fellatio on.
  14. 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.
  15. Slang To depart (a place) in a great hurry: Let's blow this city no later than noon.
noun
  1. The act or an instance of blowing.
  2. a. A blast of air or wind.
    b. A storm.
  3. Informal An act of bragging.
  4. 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.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English blowen

Origin: , from Old English blāwan; see bhlē- in Indo-European roots

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noun
  1. A sudden hard stroke or hit, as with the fist or an object.
  2. An unexpected shock or calamity.
  3. An unexpected attack; an assault.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English blaw

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noun
  1. A mass of blossoms: peach blow.
  2. The state of blossoming.
intr. & tr.v. blew blew (blo͞o), blown blown (blōn), blow·ing, blows
To bloom or cause to bloom.

Origin:

Origin: From Middle English blowen, to bloom

Origin: , from Old English blōwan; see bhel-3 in Indo-European roots

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