blow

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1 1.1.1 Pronunciation 1.1.2 Verb 1.1.2.1 Derived terms 1.1.2.2 Translations 1.1.3 Anagrams 1.2 Etymology 2 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Derived terms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.3 Etymology 3 1.3.1 Verb 1.3.2 Noun 1.3.3 Related terms

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old English blāwan (“‘make an air current, sound a wind instrument’”) from Proto-Germanic *blæanan from Proto-Indo-European *bhle- "to swell, blow up".

[edit] Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /bləʊ/, SAMPA: /"bl@U/

  Rhymes: -əʊ

• (US) IPA: /bloʊ/, SAMPA: /'bloU/

   Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Verb

to blow (third-person singular simple present blows, present participle blowing, simple past blew or (dialect) blowed, past participle blown or (dialect) blowed)

1. (intransitive) To produce an air current.
   • 1606, William Shakespeare, King Lear, act 3, sc. 2:

     "Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! blow!"

2. (intransitive) To be propelled by an air current.

   The leaves blow through the streets in the fall.

3. (intransitive) To explode.

   Get away from that burning gas tank! It's about to blow!

4. (transitive) To destroy (an electric component) by passing excessive electric current through it.

   The TV shorted out and blew its fuse.

5. (intransitive, of an electric component) To be destroyed by such a current.

   When I turned the lamp on, its bulb blew.

   Fuses are designed to blow in the event of a short circuit.

6. (intransitive, slang) To be very undesirable (see also suck).

   This blows!

7. (intransitive, of a cetacean) To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding.

   There's nothing more thrilling to the whale watcher than to see a whale surface and blow.

   There she blows! (i.e. "I see a whale spouting!")

8. (transitive) To propel by an air current.

   Blow the dust off that book and open it up.

9. (transitive) To recklessly squander.

   I managed to blow $1000 at blackjack in under an hour.

10. (transitive, vulgar) To fellate.

    Who did you have to blow to get those backstage passes?

11. (transitive) To create or shape by blowing; as in to blow bubbles, to blow glass.
12. (transitive) To play a musical instrument, such as a horn or woodwind.
    • 1996, Ike Turner, interviewed by Terri Gross on "Fresh Air", National Public Radio (US):

      "He was blowing saxophone for me."

13. (transitive) To leave.

    Let's blow this joint.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Anagrams

• bowl

[edit] Etymology 2

Middle English blowe, lang-enm. (Akin to Old High German bliuwan (“‘to beat", "strike’”) (Gernam bläuen, Gothic bliggwan))

[edit] Noun

blow (plural blows)

1. The act of striking or hitting.

   A fabricator is used to direct a sharp blow to the surface of the stone.

   During an exchange to end round 13, Duran landed a blow to the mid-section.

2. An unfortunate occurrence.

   A further blow to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.

3. (uncountable, slang) Cocaine.
4. A strong wind.

   We're having a bit of a blow this afternoon.

5. (informal) A chance to catch one’s breath.

   The players were able to get a blow during the last timeout.

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 3

Middle English blowen from Old English blōwan

[edit] Verb

to blow (third-person singular simple present blows, present participle blowing, simple past blew, past participle blown)

1. To blossom; to cause to bloom or blossom.
   • (A date for this quote is being sought): John Milton:

     How blows the citron grove.

[edit] Noun

blow (plural blows)

1. A mass or display of flowers; a yield.
   • (A date for this quote is being sought): Tatler:

     Such a blow of tulips.

2. A display of anything brilliant or bright.
3. A bloom, state of flowering.

   roses in full blow.

[edit] Related terms

• ablow