Blow, v. i. [imp. Blew p. p. Blown p. pr. & vb. n. Blowing.]
1. To produce a current of air; to move, as air, esp. to move rapidly or with power; as, the wind blows.
Hark how it rains and blows ! --Walton.
2. To send forth a forcible current of air, as from the mouth or from a pair of bellows.
3. To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
Here is Mistress Page at the door, sweating and blowing. --Shak.
4. To sound on being blown into, as a trumpet.
There let the pealing organ blow. --Milton.
5. To spout water, etc., from the blowholes, as a whale.
6. To be carried or moved by the wind; as, the dust blows in from the street.
The grass blows from their graves to thy own. --M. Arnold.
7. To talk loudly; to boast; to storm. [Colloq.]
You blow behind my back, but dare not say anything to my face. --Bartlett.
To blow hot and cold
To blow off, to let steam escape through a passage provided for the purpose; as, the engine or steamer is blowing off.
To blow out. (a) To be driven out by the expansive force of a gas or vapor; as, a steam cock or valve sometimes blows out. (b) To talk violently or abusively. [Low]
To blow over, to pass away without effect; to cease, or be dissipated; as, the storm and the clouds have blown over.
To blow up, to be torn to pieces and thrown into the air as by an explosion of powder or gas or the expansive force of steam; to burst; to explode; as, a powder mill or steam boiler blows up. “The enemy's magazines blew up.” --Tatler.
Blow v. i. [imp. Blew p. p. Blown p. pr. & vb. n. Blowing.] To flower; to blossom; to bloom.
How blows the citron grove. --Milton.
blow
n 1: a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon; "a blow on the
head"
2: an impact (as from a collision); "the bump threw him off the
bicycle" [syn: bump]
3: an unfortunate happening that hinders of impedes; something
that is thwarting or frustrating [syn: reverse, reversal,
setback, black eye]
4: an unpleasant or disappointing surprise; "it came as a shock
to learn that he was injured" [syn: shock]
5: a strong current of air; "the tree was bent almost double by
the gust" [syn: gust, blast]
6: street names for cocaine [syn: coke, nose candy, snow,
C]
7: forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth; "he gave his
nose a loud blow"; "he blew out all the candles with a
single puff" [syn: puff]
v 1: exhale hard; "blow on the soup to cool it down"
2: be blowing or storming; "The wind blew from the West"
3: free of obstruction by blowing air through; "blow one's
nose"
4: be in motion due to some air or water current; "The leaves
were blowing in the wind"; "the boat drifted on the lake";
"The sailboat was adrift on the open sea"; "the
shipwrecked boat drifted away from the shore" [syn: float,
drift, be adrift]
5: make a sound as if blown; "The whistle blew"
6: shape by blowing; "Blow a glass vase"
7: make a mess of, destroy or ruin; "I botched the dinner and
we had to eat out"; "the pianist screwed up the difficult
passage in the second movement" [syn: botch, bumble, fumble,
botch up, muff, flub, screw up, ball up, spoil,
muck up, bungle, fluff, bollix, bollix up, bollocks,
bollocks up, bobble, mishandle, louse up, foul
up, mess up, fuck up]
8: spend thoughtlessly; throw away; "He wasted his inheritance
on his insincere friends"; "You squandered the opportunity
to get and advanced degree" [syn: waste, squander]
[ant: conserve]
9: spend lavishly or wastefully on; "He blew a lot of money on
his new home theater"
10: sound by having air expelled through a tube; "The trumpets
blew"
11: play or sound a wind instrument; "She blew the horn"
12: provide sexual gratification through oral stimulation [syn:
fellate, go down on]
13: cause air to go in, on, or through; "Blow my hair dry"
14: cause to move by means of an air current; "The wind blew the
leaves around in the yard"
15: spout moist air from the blowhole; "The whales blew"
16: leave; informal or rude; "shove off!"; "The children shoved
along"; "Blow now!" [syn: shove off, shove along]
17: lay eggs; "certain insects are said to blow"
18: cause to be revealed and jeopardized; "The story blew their
cover"; "The double agent was blown by the other side"
19: show off [syn: boast, tout, swash, shoot a line, brag,
gas, bluster, vaunt, gasconade]
20: allow to regain its breath; "blow a horse"
21: melt, break, or become otherwise unusable; "The lightbulbs
blew out"; "The fuse blew" [syn: blow out, burn out]
22: burst suddenly; "The tire blew"; "We blew a tire"
[also: blown, blew]