blow

I

[[t]bloʊ[/t]]

n.

1) a sudden, hard stroke with a hand, fist, or weapon

2) a sudden shock, calamity, reversal, etc

3) a sudden attack or drastic action

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- come to blows

Etymology: 1425–75; late ME blaw, N form repr. later blowe II

blow

[[t]bloʊ[/t]] v. blew, blown or, for24, blowed, blow•ing, n.

1) (of the wind or air) to be in motion

2) to move along, carried by or as if by the wind

3) to produce or emit a current of air, as with the mouth or a bellows

4) mad (of a horn, trumpet, etc.) to give out sound

5) to make a blowing sound; whistle:

The sirens blew at noon[/ex]

6) (of horses) to breathe hard or quickly; pant

7) inf to boast; brag

8) zool. (of a whale) to spout

9) elm (of a fuse, light bulb, tire, etc.) to stop functioning or be destroyed, as by bursting, exploding, or melting (often fol. by out)

10) sts sl. to leave; depart

11) to drive by means of a current of air:

A breeze blew dust into my eyes[/ex]

12) to drive a current of air upon

13) to clear or empty by forcing air through:

Try blowing your nose[/ex]

14) to shape (glass, smoke, etc.) with a current of air

15) to cause to sound, as by a current of air:

to blow a horn[/ex]

16) to cause to explode:

A mine blew the ship to bits[/ex]

17) to cause or undergo the bursting, melting, burning, or disfunctioning of, as by strain or overload (often fol. by out):

to blow a tire[/ex]

18) to cause to fall or collapse by a current of air; topple or demolish (usu. fol. by down, over, etc.):

A windstorm blew down the tent[/ex]

19) to spread or make widely known:

Growing panic blew the rumor about[/ex]

20) inf

a) to squander; spend quickly or extravagantly:

I blew $100 on dinner[/ex]

b) to treat; bear the expense for:

I'll blow you to a movie[/ex]

21) inf

a) to mishandle, ruin, or botch; bungle:

You blew your last chance[/ex]

b) to waste or lose:

The team blew the lead in the third quarter[/ex]

22) sts to damn:

Blow the cost! Well, I'll be blowed![/ex]

23) to put (a horse) out of breath by fatigue

24) sts Slang. to depart from:

to blow town[/ex]

25) sts Vulgar Slang. to perform fellatio on

26) phv sts blow away

a) to kill, esp. by gunfire

b) to defeat decisively; trounce

c) to overwhelm with emotion, astonishment, etc

27) phv blow in

sts to arrive at a place, esp. unexpectedly

28) blow off, to disregard, ignore, or reject:

He blew off their meeting[/ex]

29) phv blow out

a) to extinguish or become extinguished

b) to lose or cause to lose force or to cease:

The storm has blown itself out[/ex]

c) (of an oil or gas well) to lose oil or gas uncontrollably

30) phv blow over

a) to pass away; subside:

The storm blew over in minutes[/ex]

b) to be forgotten:

The scandal will blow over eventually[/ex]

31) phv blow up

a) to explode or cause to explode

b) to exaggerate; enlarge

c) inf to lose one's temper

d) to fill with air or gas; inflate:

to blow up a balloon[/ex]

e) to distend or become distended; swell

f) pht to make an enlarged reproduction of (a photograph)

g) to come into being:

A storm suddenly blew up[/ex]

32) a blast of air or wind

33) inf a violent windstorm

34) an act of producing a blast of air, as in playing a wind instrument

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- blow hot and cold blow off steam blow one's cool blow one's cover blow one's mind, blow one's stack blow the lid off

Etymology: bef. 1000; ME; OE blāwan; c. OHG blā(h)an, L flāre to blow III

blow

[[t]bloʊ[/t]] n. v. blew, blown, blow•ing

1) bot a display of blossoms

2) the state of blossoming:

tulips in full blow[/ex]

3) archaic to blossom; flower

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Etymology: bef. 1000; ME; OE blōwan