blow Hear it!

blow¹ Definition

blow (blō)

intransitive verb blew, blown, blow·ing

  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.

Etymology: 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

blow¹ Idioms

blow someone away

Slang
  1. to kill by shooting
  2. to overcome with emotion, surprise, etc.

blow hot and cold

Etymology: orig. with reference to the scent in hunting

to be favorable toward something and then opposed to it; vacillate

blow in

Slang to arrive

blow someone's mind

Slang to astound, amaze, confuse, etc.

blow off

  1. to let steam or hot water out from (a boiler)
  2. Informal to give vent to one's feelings, as by loud or long talking
  3. Slang to ignore, disregard, or reject

blow out

  1. to put out (a fire or flame) by blowing
  2. to be put out in this way
  3. to dispel (itself) after a time: said of a storm

blow over

  1. to move away, as rain clouds
  2. to pass over or by; be forgotten

blow one's stack

or blow one's top or blow one's lid☆

Slang to lose one's temper; fly into a rage

blow up

  1. to fill with or as with air or gas
  2. to burst or explode
  3. to arise and become more intense, as a storm
  4. to enlarge (a photograph)
  5. to exaggerate (an incident, rumor, etc.)
  6. Informal to lose one's temper or poise
blow² Definition

blow (blō)

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

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

blow² Idioms

at a (or one) blow

by one action

come to blows

to begin fighting one another

blow³ Definition

blow (blō)

intransitive verb blew, blown, blow·ing

Archaic to blossom

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

noun

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

blow Synonyms

blow

n.

  1. A heavy physical stroke

    hit, strike, punch, buffet, swing, bump, wallop, rap, bang, whack, thwack, cuff, box, uppercut, dint, knock, clout, slam, bruise, swipe, thump, kick, stroke, buck, rabbit punch, jab, gouge, lunge, thrust, swat, poke, prod, slap, smack, the old one-two*, bat*, sock*, clip*, belt*, slug*, cut*, bop*, bonk*, whop*, bash*, biff*, lick*, crack*, haymaker*, roundhouse*, a knuckle sandwich*, kayo* or K.O*.

  2. A catastrophe

    setback, calamity, tragedy, shock; see disaster, surprise 2.

  3. A heavy wind

    blast, gale, typhoon, hurricane; see wind 1.

blow Synonyms

blow

v.

  1. To send forth air rapidly

    puff, blast, pant, exhale, fan, whiff, whisk, whisper, puff away, huff, waft, breathe, whistle, bluster.

  2. To move rapidly; said of air

    rush, whirl, stream, storm; see flow 1.

  3. To carry on the wind

    waft, flutter, bear, whisk, drive, fling, whirl, flap, flip, wave, buffet, sweep.

  4. To play a wind instrument

    pipe, toot, mouth; see play 3.

  5. To sound when blown

    trumpet, vibrate, blare, honk; see sound 1.

  6. To give form by inflation

    inflate, swell, puff up, pump up; see fill 1.

  7. *To leave suddenly

    go, depart, leave town; see leave 1.

  8. *To boast

    brag, swagger, bluster; see boast 1.

  9. *To fail

    miss, flounder, miscarry; see fail 1.

  10. *To spend

    lay out, pay out, waste, squander; see spend 1, waste 2.

blow Usage Examples

Object

  • whistle: However he never blew a final whistle, just waved his arms about.
  • fuse: After all, what damage can you cause, blown fuse, burnt cable or at the very extreme a knackered battery.
  • gale: In the morning it came on to blow a gale of wind.
  • trumpet: In Revelation 8 and 9. you have the angel blowing trumpet.
  • bubble: Posted in categories: TV, Funny | No Comments Yet February 14th, 2006 Still blowing bubbles!
  • gasket: RACE 2 On Sunday we lost Steve Davis who blew a head gasket and retired on the 3 lap.

Converse of object

  • soften: He started a program to soften the blow of the IMF cuts.
  • strike: General Cathcart thought he could strike a blow at an unbroken Russian line; Oh!

Adjective modifier

  • devastating: Those were not the things that dealt fatal or even devastating blows to his inner man.
  • fatal: The invention of firearms and in particular the development of the sporting rifle dealt a near fatal blow to the breed.
  • cruel: It was quite an emotional experience dealing with the many disappointed athletes who the weather had dealt a cruel blow to.
  • bitter: Now came another bitter blow when cut backs in public expenditure forced the withdrawal of the invitation to tender.

Modifies a noun

  • molding: Sheet material can be formed by vacuum forming and blow molding techniques using low cost tooling.
  • flashlight: Remember, with soldered fittings, the flame from a blow flashlight is a major fire risk.

Noun used with modifier

  • knockout: It's like a boxer who possesses a knockout blow and can produce it at any given moment, like...
  • hammer: The loss of Kevin Nicholls and Steve Howard is a hammer blow.
  • whistle: It will all be over once the final whistle blows on Sunday 9th July.
  • wind: It suddenly fades out, wind blows, a storm brewing?

Particle object:

  • cobwebs: Once again Hutton has taken a subject area and blown away the cobwebs.

Particle object:

  • cobwebs: I felt like I was blowing off the cobwebs.
blow Quotes

   And, dying, bless the hand that gave the blow.

—Dryden,John

   Sweet and low, sweet and low, Wind of the western sea, Low, low, breathe and blow, Wind of the western sea! Over the rolling waters go, Come from the dying moon, and blow, Blow him again to me; While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps. Sleep and rest, sleep and rest, Father will come to thee soon; Rest, rest, on mother's breast, Father will come to thee soon; Father will come to his babe in the nest, Silver sails all out of the west Under the silver moon: Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep.

—Tennyson

  If you strike a child take care that you strike it in anger, evenattheriskof maiming itfor life. A blow incold blood neither can nor should be forgiven.

—Shaw, George Bernard

I'll say, a strangemanisa marvel, with hismighty talk; but what's a squabble in your back-yard, and the blow of a loy, have taught me that there's a great gap between a gallous story and a dirty deed. 834

—Synge,John Millington

Sir Walter, being strangely surprised and put out of his countenance at so great a table, gives his son a damned blow over the face.Hisson, asrude as he was, would not strike his father, but strikes over the face the gentleman that sat next to him and said 'Box about: 'twill come to my father anon.'

—Aubrey,John

But as in wailing there's nought availing, And Death unfailing will strike the blow, Then for that reason, and for a season, Let us be merry before we go.

—Curran,John Philpot

The first blow is half the battle.

—Goldsmith, Oliver

Liberty's in every blow! Let us do or die!

—Burns, Robert

Beware of the man who does not return your blow: he neither forgives you nor allows you to forgive yourself.

—Shaw, George Bernard

Hereditary bondsmen! know ye not Who would be free themselves must strike the blow?

—Rochdale

Never lay yourselfopentowhat iscalled conviction: you might as well open your waist-coat to receive a knock- down blow.

—Hunt, (James Henry) Leigh

Every lunch time I went to see how my inheritance was proceeding. Sometimes the deaths column brought good news. Sometimes the births column brought bad. The advent of twin sons to the Duke was a terrible blow. Fortunatelyanepidemic ofdiphtheria restored thestatus quo almost immediately.

—Hamer, Robert

She taught me what her uncle once taught her: How easily the biggest coal block split If you got the grain and hammer angled right. The sound of that relaxed alluring blow, Its co-opted and obliterated echo, Taught me to hit, taught me to loosen, Taught me between the hammer and the block To face the music. Teach me now to listen, To strike it rich behind the linear black.

—Heaney, SeamusJustin

You just wait. I'll sin until I blow up!

—Thomas, Dylan Marlais

Browse dictionary entries near blow

  1. bloviate
  2. blouson
  3. blouse
  4. blotto
  5. blotting paper
  6. blotter
  7. blotchy
  8. blotch
  9. blot out
  10. blot
  1. blow-by-blow
  2. blow-dry
  3. blow in*,
  4. blow job
  5. blow out
  6. blow up
  7. blowback
  8. blowby
  9. blower
  10. blowfish