Word: blast Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Inherited from Middle English blast, from Old English blǣst (“blowing, blast”), from Proto-West Germanic *blāstu, from Proto-Germanic *blēstuz (“blowing, blast”). Cognate with West Frisian blast (“blast”), dialectal Dutch blast (“stubborn intent, drumming”), obsolete German Blast (“wind, blowing”), German blasen (“to blow”), Dutch blazen (“to blow”), Danish blæst (“wind”), French blaser (“to blunt, dull”). More at blow. Pronunciation: /blɑːst/, /blæst/ 1. A violent gust of wind (in windy weather) or apparent wind (around a moving vehicle). Labels: countable, uncountable Example: And see where surly Winter passes off, / Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts; / His blasts obey, and quit the howling hill. Example: Their warm, thick under covering of fine wool protects them from the coldest blasts. 2. A forcible stream of gas or liquid from an orifice, for example from a bellows, the tuyeres of a blast furnace, a person's mouth, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. A hit of a recreational drug from a pipe. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. The continuous blowing to which one charge of ore or metal is subjected in a furnace. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Many tons of iron were melted at a blast. Example: Blast was produced by bellows worked by four 'blowers', three of whom worked at a time while the fourth stood ready to replace one of the others. 5. The exhaust steam from an engine, driving a column of air out of a boiler chimney, and thus creating an intense draught through the fire; also, any draught produced by the blast. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. An explosion, especially for the purpose of destroying a mass of rock, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: arc blast Example: Blast after blast, fiery outbreak after fiery outbreak, like a flaming barrage from within,[…]most of Edison's grounds soon became an inferno. As though on an incendiary rampage, the fires systematically devoured the contents of Edison's headquarters and facilities. 7. A direct and fast swing of a bat; a home run. Labels: countable, uncountable 8. A verbal attack or punishment; a severe criticism or reprimand. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: My manager gave me a blast yesterday for coming in late. Example: P. S.—I gave the P. O. Department a blast in the papers about sending misdirected letters of mine back to the writers for reshipment, and got a blast in return, through a New York daily, from the New York postmaster. 9. An explosive charge for blasting. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: 1852-1854, Charles Tomlinson, Cyclopaedia of Useful Arts Large blasts are often used. 10. A loud, sudden sound. Labels: countable Example: One blast upon his bugle horn / Were worth a thousand men. Example: the blast of triumph o'er thy grave 11. Unwanted noise from a microphone. Labels: uncountable Example: […] the microphone has been unostentatiously working out its own destiny here and abroad, mainly in America. Evolution seems to be most promising (in the elimination of "microphone blast" and background noises — common faults of the earlier types) in the direction of the electrostatic, or condenser, microphone, […] 12. A sudden pernicious effect, as if by a noxious wind, especially on animals and plants; a blight. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed. Example: Vertue preferd from fell deſtuctions blaſt, 13. A good time; an enjoyable moment. Labels: countable, figuratively, informal, uncountable Example: We had a blast at the party last night. 14. A promotional message sent to an entire mailing list. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: an e-mail blast; a fax blast 15. A flatulent disease of sheep. Labels: countable, uncountable 16. A period of full dosage of PEDs as opposed to a period of reduced intake. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable Example: blast and cruise