blow

English

/bləʊ/, /bloʊ/

verb
Definitions
  • (intransitive) To produce an air current.
  • (transitive) To propel by an air current.
  • (intransitive) To be propelled by an air current.
  • (transitive) To create or shape by blowing; as in to blow bubbles, to blow glass.
  • To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means.
  • To clear of contents by forcing air through.
  • (transitive) To cause to make sound by blowing, as a musical instrument.
  • (intransitive) To make a sound as the result of being blown.
  • (intransitive) To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding.
  • (intransitive) To explode.
  • (transitive) To cause to explode, shatter, or be utterly destroyed.
  • (transitive) To cause sudden destruction of.
  • (intransitive) To suddenly fail destructively.
  • (intransitive) (used to express displeasure or frustration) Damn.
  • (intransitive) To be very undesirable. (See also suck (suck).)
  • (transitive) To recklessly squander.
  • (transitive) To fellate; to perform oral sex on (usually a man)
  • (transitive) To leave, especially suddenly or in a hurry.
  • To make flyblown, to defile, especially with fly eggs.
  • (obsolete) To spread by report; to publish; to disclose.
  • (obsolete) To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
  • (intransitive) To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
  • (transitive) To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue.
  • (obsolete) To talk loudly; to boast; to storm.
  • (slang) To sing.
  • (Scientology) To leave the Church of Scientology in an unauthorized manner.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blowen (blossom, blow) inherited from Old English blāwan (blow, inflate, breathe, sound) inherited from *blāan inherited from Proto-Germanic *blēaną (blow) derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₁- (blow, bleat, swell, blow up, cry, yellow, surge, overflow, run, puff up, blue, inflate, grey), *bʰleh₁- (blow, bleat, swell, blow up, cry, yellow, surge, overflow, run, puff up, blue, inflate, grey).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*bʰleh₁-

Gloss

blow, bleat, swell, blow up, cry, yellow, surge, overflow, run, puff up, blue, inflate, grey

Concept
Semantic Field

Motion

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Kanji

Emoji
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Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms