blow
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /bləʊ/
ipa: /blɑː/
ipa: /bloʊ/
rhymes: -əʊ
Forms: form: blows
form: blowing
form: blew
form: blown
Etymology: From Middle English blowen, from Old English blāwan (“to blow, breathe, inflate, sound”), from Proto-West Germanic *blāan, from Proto-Germanic *blēaną (“to blow”) (compare German blähen), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (“to swell, blow up”) (compare Latin flō (“to blow”) and Old Armenian բեղուն (bełun, “fertile”)).
Senses: examples: text: Lear. Blow windes, & crack your cheeks; Rage, blow / You Cataracts, and Hyrricano's ſpout,
ref: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 296, column 1:
text: Tend to th' Maſters whiſtle: Blow till thou burſt thy winde, if roome enough.
ref: 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 1, column 1:
text: Hark how it rains and blows!
ref: 1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC; reprinted as The Compleat Angler (Homo Ludens; 6), Nieuwkoop, South Holland, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1969, →ISBN:
glosses: To produce an air current.
examples: text: Blow the dust off that book and open it up.
text: To-night the winds begin to rise
⁠And roar from yonder dropping day:
⁠The last red leaf is whirl’d away,
The rooks are blown about the skies; […]
ref: 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 24:
glosses: To propel by an air current (or, if under water, a water current), usually with the mouth.
examples: text: The leaves blow through the streets in the fall.
glosses: To be propelled by an air current.
examples: text: "This is an unexpected pleasure!" exclaimed he. "What good fortune blows Lady Marchmont hither?"
ref: 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “A Friend at Court”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 260:
glosses: To direct or move, usually of a person to a particular location.
examples: text: to blow bubbles
text: to blow glass
text: Joe puffed on his pipe and blew a couple of smoke rings.
glosses: To create or shape by blowing.
examples: text: to blow the fire
glosses: To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means.
examples: text: to blow an egg
text: to blow one’s nose
text: The submarine blew its main ballast tanks.
glosses: To clear of contents by forcing air through.
examples: text: Blow your horn! That car is about to hit us!
glosses: To cause to make sound by blowing (as a musical instrument).
examples: text: In the harbor, the ships’ horns blew.
text: There let the pealing organ blow,
ref: a. 1645, John Milton, “Il Penseroso”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], published 1646, →OCLC, page 43:
glosses: To make a sound as a result of being blown.
examples: text: There’s nothing more thrilling to the whale watcher than to see a whale surface and blow.
text: There she blows! (i.e. “I see a whale spouting!”)
text: Soon after he [a porpoise] appeared again, blowing very hard, but the next moment he turned over; Rasmus was not slow in putting the boat-hook in him and hauling him into the boat with my assistance.
ref: 1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 184:
glosses: To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding.
raw_tags: of a cetacean
examples: text: Get away from that burning gas tank! It’s about to blow!
text: Hitler is very, very important, and something's going to blow in Europe.
ref: 1971, Herman Wouk, The Winds of War, page 12:
glosses: To burst or explode; to occur suddenly
examples: text: The demolition squad neatly blew the old hotel up.
text: The aerosol can was blown to bits.
text: However, something once happened on the railway there which showed the very best of mankind: heroism, duty, self-sacrifice and calm professionalism under terrible pressure. It is a story which gives us far, far better reasons for remembering this attractive little town, which without these heroes would have been blown to smithereens in a gigantic explosion. (Two railwaymen lost their lives in 1944 when a wagon in an ammunition train caught fire and blew up, an even worse disaster was averted however.)
ref: 2022 January 12, Benedict le Vay, “The heroes of Soham...”, in RAIL, number 948, page 42:
glosses: To cause to explode, shatter, or be utterly destroyed.
raw_tags: with "up" or with prep phrase headed by "to"
examples: text: He blew the tires and the engine.
glosses: To cause the sudden destruction of.
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: To blow from a gun (method of executing a person).
examples: text: He tried to sprint, but his ligaments blew and he was barely able to walk to the finish line.
text: A common problem for double glazed windows (or doors) is mist or condensation between the panes of glass. This is known as a blown window or failed double glazing. But what does it cost to repair?
ref: (Can we date this quote?), Checkatrade.com, “Blown windows repair cost guide”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):
glosses: To suddenly fail or give way destructively.
glosses: To melt away because of overcurrent, creating a gap in a wire, thus stopping a circuit from operating.
raw_tags: of a fuse
examples: text: I managed to blow $1000 at blackjack in under an hour.
text: I blew $35 thou on a car.
text: We blew an opportunity to get benign corporate sponsorship.
text: ‘Holy Mackerel, Ann! I’m certainly glad we blew ourselves for that outfit of yours.’
ref: 1932, Delos W. Lovelace, King Kong, published 1965, page 136:
glosses: To recklessly squander.
examples: text: I blew it and forgot to start the spaghetti, so I had plenty of sauce and no pasta.
text: Good luck, and don’t blow it!
text: […] I put myself on the line for you. I told you I wasn't sure if I was ready for a relationship again and you blew it. You blew it! You call this a fresh start? This doesn't look like a fresh start to me. You're dicking me around just like the rest of them, Drew.
ref: 2006, Allison Rushby, Hating Valentine's Day, page 148:
text: Hodgson’s team attracted a certain amount of sympathy and understanding after the Italy defeat but it was beyond them to play with the same attacking panache and, if there is to be a feat of escapology, it will need an almost implausible combination of results and handouts in the final games of Group D. More realistically, they have blown it in their first week.
ref: 2014 June 20, Daniel Taylor, “World Cup 2014: Uruguay sink England as Suárez makes his mark”, in guardian.co.uk:
glosses: To fail at; to mess up; to make a mistake in.
examples: text: This blows!
synonyms: suck
qualifier: sometimes considered vulgar
glosses: To be very undesirable.
examples: text: Who did you have to blow to get those backstage passes?
text: The mandem all used to go round there and get head off her, the sister blowing the man line by line while her brother shotted downstairs in the stairwell.
ref: 2011, “Chyna”, in How I Escaped a Girl Gang: Rolling in a London Girl Gang:
synonyms: word: give brain
word: give dome
word: give hat
word: give head
word: give neck
word: give noddy
word: go down on
glosses: To perform oral sex on (someone); to fellate.
examples: text: Let’s blow this joint.
text: It's hard on a fella, when he don't know his way around
If I don't find me a honey to help me spend my money
I'm gonna have to blow this town.
ref: 1963, Sam Cooke, “Another Saturday Night”, in Ain't That Good News:
text: I'm a wanted man and I'm blowing town
Don't waste your time trying to hunt me down
ref: 2007, Gus Seyffert, Charlie Wadhams, “Guilty As Charged”, in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, performed by John C. Reilly:
glosses: To leave, especially suddenly or in a hurry.
topics: Scientology
lifestyle
religion
glosses: To leave the Church of Scientology in an unauthorized manner.
examples: text: Shall they hoyſt me vp,
And ſhew me to the ſhowting Varlotarie
Of cenſuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt,
Be gentle graue vnto me, rather on Nylus mudde
Lay me ſtarke-nak'd, and let the water-Flies
Blow me into abhorring;
ref: c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], page 365, column 1:
text: Fer. I am, in my condition
A Prince (Miranda) I do thinke a King
(I would not ſo) and would no more endure
This wodden ſlauerie, then to ſuffer
The fleſh-flie blow my mouth: heare my ſoule ſpeake.
ref: 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], page 11, column 1:
text: That decision was given an added kick by fury when he found that Podson had left the safe door open, and flies had blown the meat.
ref: 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 78:
glosses: To make flyblown; to defile or spoil, especially with fly eggs.
examples: text: […] said the bookseller, “but I cannot risk the expence of your debut - There are critics without as well as within a theatre.” - I know it, said I, interrupting him; “men who, like flies blowing on a piece of wholesome meat, can convert it into carrion - […]
ref: 1807, Thomas Pike Lathy, Gabriel Forrester;or, The deserted son. A novel in four volumes, volume 2, London: Lewis and Hamblin, page 77:
text: In Cornwall, a singular mode of curing conger, once prevailed, which was, merely to split the conger in halves, and, without any further preparation, to hang them up in a kind of shambles erected for that purpose, when the flies, blowing on the fish, the progeny would devour all the parts liable to decomposition, whilst the residue, being dried in the sun, became in this manner fit for use: and, when perfectly cured, where exported to Spain and Portugal. There they were ground into powder, and with this preparation, the natives of those Countries used to thicken their soups.
ref: 1843, William Hughes(Piscator), Fish, How to Choose and How to Dress, London: Longman, Green, Brown, and Longmans, pages 41–42:
text: […]and often after they drop off the punctured skins are the seats of maggots, etc., owing to flies blowing on these injuries.
ref: 1921, “The British Veterinary Journal”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 77, Ballière Tindall, page 29:
glosses: (of a fly) To lay eggs; to breed (in flesh or meat).
examples: text: Through the court his courtesy was blown.
ref: 1700, [John] Dryden, “Palamon and Arcite: Or, The Knight’s Tale. In Three Books.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
glosses: To spread by report; to publish; to disclose.
examples: text: O peace, now he's deepely in: looke how imagination blowes him.
ref: c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v], page 263, column 2:
glosses: To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
examples: text: Rob. Miſtris Ford, Miſtris Ford: heere's Miſtris Page at the doore, ſsweating, and blowing, and looking wildely, and would needs ſpeake with you preſently.
ref: c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 58, column 1:
glosses: To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
glosses: To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue.
examples: text: I don't want the worst characters in hell to be running after me with friendly messages and little testimonials of admiration for Smythe, and blowing about his talents, and bragging on him, and belching their villainous fire and brimstone all through the atmosphere and making my place smell worse than a menagerie.
ref: 1866 February 6, Mark Twain, “Remarkable Dream”, in Virginia City Territorial Enterprise:
text: He didn't just set around and try to out sweettalk^([sic]) somebody; he got out and out-fit somebody. He wouldn't be blowing when he told his boys how he fit for the woman he got.
ref: a. 1940, Mildred Haun, “Shin-Bone Rocks”, in The Hawk's Done Gone, page 218:
text: At the breaking edge with him and completely fed up with his everlasting bragging and blowing about his personal exploits, and desirous of putting him somewhere, anywhere, so they wouldn't be continuously annoyed by him, […]
ref: 1969, Charles Ambrose McCarthy, The Great Molly Maguire Hoax, page 113:
text: Audie never liked him because he was further in with old Craig than he was, bragging and blowing about his work and the things he could do, while Audie sat quiet as a mouse listening to his blab.
ref: 1976, David Toulmin, Blown Seed, page 148:
glosses: To talk loudly; boast; brag.
glosses: To slander, insult, critique or discredit (someone); to reprimand or scold (someone).
examples: text: 'As for that,' says Will, 'I could tell it well enough, if I had it, but I must not be seen anywhere among my old acquaintances, for I am blown, and they will all betray me.'
ref: 1722, Daniel Defoe, Colonel Jack:
synonyms: grass up
glosses: To expose, or inform on.
examples: text: That girl has a wonderful voice; just listen to her blow!
qualifier: African-American Vernacular
glosses: To sing.
examples: text: Uh, oh! I gotta blow!
glosses: To flatulate or defecate.
Derived terms: air-blown asphalt
ale-blown
beblow
blow a backsight
blowability
blowable
blow a cloud
blow a fuse
blow a gasket
blow a hole through
blow a kiss
blow a nut
blow apart
blow ass
blow away
blow chunks
blow down
blow-dry
blower
blow forward
blow from a gun
blowhard
blowhorn
blow hot and cold
blow-in
blow in
blowing agent
blowing a load
blowing house
blowing mill
blow in the bag
blow into
blow it
blow it out one's ass
blow it out one's ear
blowjob
blow me
blow me down
blow me over
blow me pink
blow me tight
blow me up
blown diffuser
blown pupil
blown save
blow off
blow off course
blow off one's steam
blow off steam
blow one's chance
blow one's cool
blow one's cork
blow one's horn
blow one's lid
blow one's load
blow one's nose
blow one's own horn
blow one's own trumpet
blow one's stack
blow one's top
blow one's trumpet
blow one's wad
blow one's wig
blowout
blow out
blow out of proportion
blow out of proportions
blow out of the water
blow out one's bags
blow over
blow past
blow poke
blow sky high
blow smoke
blow smoke up someone's ass
blow smoke up someone's arse
blow someone's back out
blow someone's brains out
blow someone's cover
blow someone's mind
blow someone's skirt up
blow someone's socks off
blow someone's trumpet
blow sunshine up someone's ass
blow sunshine up someone's skirt
blowth
blow the coals
blow the cobwebs away
blow the doors off
blow the gaff
blow the grampus
blow the lid off
blow the roof off
blow the whistle
blow this for a game of soldiers
blow this for a lark
blow this Popsicle stand
blow this popsicle stand
blow this pop stand
blow through
blow to kingdom come
blow tomahawks
blow town
blowup
blow up
blow up in one's face
blow upon
blow water
blow-wave
blow wide open
blow wind up someone's skirt
blow wise to
blow with the wind
blowy
cop and blow
cow blowing
fly-blown
free-blown
glassblower
glass blowing
go or blow
high-blown
how the wind is blowing
I'll be blowed
inblow
mind-blowing
misblow
outblow
overblow
preblow
snow-blow
suck and blow
there she blows
underblow
upblow
what way the wind is blowing
which way the wind is blowing
whistle-blow
whistle blow
Winblows
wind-blown