# blow

Pronunciation: say "BLOH" US /bloʊ/, UK /bləʊ/

## Verb

1. To produce a current of moving air.
   - Simple: To make air move, the way wind does.
   - _A breeze blows gently off the lake at dusk._
   - _Storm winds can blow for hours without stopping._
3. To move, or make something move, carried along by the wind or a current of air; figuratively, to bring someone somewhere.
   - Simple: To move, or make something move, because of wind or moving air.
   - _Sand blows over the dunes during strong gusts._
   - _Dead leaves blow into drifts along the fence._
5. To explode or burst, or to make something explode or be destroyed, as in 'blow up a bridge.'
   - Simple: To explode, or to make something explode or break into pieces.
   - _The explosion at the factory blew out windows three blocks away._
   - _A single charge can blow the entire wall apart._
6. To direct a current of air onto something, with the mouth or by other means.
   - Simple: To send air at something using your mouth or another source.
   - _Kids love to blow on dandelions that have gone to seed and watch the fluff drift away._
   - _Kneeling by the campfire, he blew gently on the glowing coals until a small flame flickered to life._
7. To make a wind instrument, whistle, or horn sound by forcing air through it, or of such an instrument, to sound.
   - Simple: To make a sound with a trumpet, whistle, or horn by pushing air into it, or for it to sound.
   - _It takes a lot of practice to blow a clear, steady note on the trumpet._
   - _When the final whistle blew, the home fans rushed onto the field to celebrate._
8. To fail at something or ruin it through a careless mistake. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To fail at something or spoil it through a mistake.
   - _She blew the interview by arriving an hour late._
   - _They can blow the whole deal with one careless comment._
9. To create or shape an object by forcing air into or through it.
   - Simple: To make or shape something by blowing air into or through it.
   - _The craftsman blew the molten glass into a delicate swan._
   - _They blow glass ornaments every holiday season._
10. Of a tire, engine, fuse, or other part, to fail suddenly by bursting, breaking, or melting.
   - Simple: Of a tire, engine, or fuse, to suddenly break and stop working.
   - _The transmission blew halfway through the race._
   - _Overheated gaskets can blow under extreme pressure._
11. To empty or clear something of its contents by forcing air through it.
   - Simple: To clear something out by pushing air through it.
   - _She blew her nose and felt instantly better._
   - _Before putting the engine back together, he made sure to blow each tiny passage clear with compressed air._
12. To spend or waste money or resources recklessly. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To waste money or chances quickly and carelessly.
   - _She blew her entire bonus in a single weekend._
   - _Lottery winners often blow their fortunes within a few years._
13. To be extremely undesirable or disappointing. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To be very bad, unpleasant, or annoying.
   - _Long commutes blow, especially in bad weather._
   - _The new schedule blows for anyone with kids._
14. In vulgar slang, to perform oral sex on someone, especially to fellate a man.
   - Simple: A rude, vulgar way of saying to give someone oral sex.
   - _The coworkers sneered, asking who the new hire had to blow to land the corner office._
   - _He told everyone, falsely, that his date had blown him in the parking lot after the movie._
16. To breathe heavily and rapidly, gasping or puffing for air.
   - Simple: To breathe hard and fast, like after running.
   - _The old dog blew and wheezed after the long walk._
   - _Horses blow loudly when they finish a gallop._
17. To depart from somewhere, usually abruptly or in a rush. *(slang)*
   - Simple: To leave a place quickly, often in a hurry.
   - _We should blow this joint before the manager notices._
   - _She blew town the moment she heard the news._
20. Of a whale, to exhale forcefully through its blowhole, sending up a visible spout of water and vapor.
   - Simple: Of a whale, to breathe out hard through the hole on top of its head, sending up a spray.
   - _The humpback surfaced and blew, misting the watchers on deck._
   - _Whales blow loudly enough to be heard across the bay._
22. To expose someone's secret identity or role, as in blow someone's cover. In old thieves' slang it also meant to inform on someone. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To let others find out who someone really is or what secret job they have.
   - _One photo in the newspaper blew the agent's cover after ten years undercover._
   - _Keep your mouth shut, or the fence will blow the lot of us to the magistrate._

## Noun

2. A hard hit with the hand, a weapon, or an object; also a forceful attack or effort against someone or something.
   - Simple: A hard hit on someone or something, or a strong attack or effort against them.
   - _A single blow from the champion ended the fight._
   - _He staggered after taking several blows to the ribs._
4. An event that causes serious harm, loss, or disappointment.
   - Simple: A sad or harmful event that hits you hard.
   - _Her sudden resignation dealt a serious blow to the campaign._
   - _The factory closure came as a crushing blow to the workers._
15. A vulgar slang term for an act of fellatio, meaning oral sex performed on the penis. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A rude slang word for oral sex done on a man.
18. A strong, powerful wind.
   - Simple: A strong wind that moves fast and hard.
   - _The fishermen stayed in port during the heavy blow._
   - _A three-day blow battered the coastline with gusts and rain._
19. A short pause to rest and catch one's breath. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A short break to rest and catch your breath.
   - _The hikers stopped for a blow at the summit._
   - _Give the horses a blow before the final stretch._
21. Cocaine, especially in its illicit powdered form. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: Cocaine, an illegal drug taken as a powder.
   - _Dealers cut the blow with cheaper powders to boost profits._
   - _She swore off blow after the arrest._

## Interjection

23. Said as an exclamation to show that one is annoyed or frustrated by something. *(dated, UK)*
   - Simple: Said out loud when you feel annoyed or unhappy about something.
   - _Oh, blow! The printer has jammed again, five minutes before the meeting._
   - _Blow! I forgot to save the file before the laptop died._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To blossom, or to cause a plant to come into bloom.
- (noun) The condition of being in flower; a bloom.
- (verb) To execute someone by tying them to the mouth of a cannon and firing it.
- (verb) To walk out of Scientology without the church's approval, a term used by its members.
- (verb) Of a fly, to deposit its eggs, especially in meat or a carcass.
- (verb) To make news or a rumor widely known by telling it around.
- (verb) To swell someone up with self-importance or vanity.
- (verb) To leave a person or horse panting and exhausted through hard effort.
- (verb) To speak boastfully and noisily about oneself.
- (verb) To attack someone's reputation with insults or harsh criticism, or to give them a severe telling-off.
- (verb) To perform a song with one's voice.
- (verb) To pass gas from the bowels, or to empty them.
- (noun) Marijuana, considered as a drug for smoking.
- (noun) Heroin, a powerful opioid drug.
- (noun) The act of forcing compressed air into a submarine's ballast tanks to push out the water, so that the vessel rises to the surface.
- (adjective) Of the color blue, or bluish in tone.
- (noun) A single stroke of the hand shears through a sheep's wool during shearing.
- (noun) A visible mass of quartz sticking out of the rock around it, taken by prospectors as a sign of ore underneath.
- (noun) The sharp or tense closing line of a scene in a script, also called a button.
- (noun) A mass or bright show of flowers in bloom, or the blossoms a plant yields.
- (noun) Any brilliant or showy display of color or light.

## Origin

**Meanings 1, 3, 5–23** — The Old English verb was blāwan, meaning "to blow, breathe, inflate, sound," and it became Middle English blowen. It traces back through Proto-Germanic *blēaną to *bʰleh₁-, a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to swell, blow up," which also produced Latin flō ("to blow").
**Meanings 2, 4** — Proto-Germanic *blewwaną ("to beat") led to Middle English blēwe, whose northern variant was blowe. Compare Old Norse blegði ("wedge") and German einbläuen. It is related to block.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/blow (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).