v. & n.
v. (past blew; past part. blown) 1 a intr. (of the wind or air, or impersonally) move along; act as an air-current (it was blowing hard). b intr. be driven by an air-current (waste paper blew along the gutter). c tr. drive with an air-current (blew the door open). 2 a tr. send out (esp. air) by breathing (blew cigarette smoke; blew a bubble). b intr. send a directed air-current from the mouth. 3 tr. & intr. sound or be sounded by blowing (the whistle blew; they blew the trumpets). 4 tr. a direct an air-current at (blew the embers). b (foll. by off, away, etc.) clear of by means of an air-current (blew the dust off). 5 tr. (past part. blowed) sl. (esp. in imper.) curse, confound (blow it!; I'll be blowed!; let's take a taxi and blow the expense). 6 tr. a clear (the nose) of mucus by blowing. b remove contents from (an egg) by blowing through it. 7 a intr. puff, pant. b tr. (esp. in passive) exhaust of breath. 8 sl. a tr. depart suddenly from (blew the town yesterday). b intr. depart suddenly. 9 tr. shatter or send flying by an explosion (the bomb blew the tiles off the roof; blew them to smithereens). 10 tr. make or shape (glass or a bubble) by blowing air in. 11 tr. & intr. melt or cause to melt from overloading (the fuse has blown). 12 intr. (of a whale) eject air and water through a blow-hole. 13 tr. break into (a safe etc.) with explosives. 14 tr. sl. a squander, spend recklessly (blew $20 on a meal). b spoil, bungle (an opportunity etc.) (he's blown his chances of winning). c reveal (a secret etc.). 15 intr. (of a food-tin etc.) swell and eventually burst from internal gas pressure. 16 tr. work the bellows of (an organ). 17 tr. (of flies) deposit eggs in. 18 intr. US & Austral. colloq. boast.
n. 1 a an act of blowing (e.g. one's nose, a wind instrument). b colloq. a turn or spell of playing jazz (on any instrument); a musical session. 2 a a gust of wind or air. b exposure to fresh air. 3 = fly-blow (see FLY(2)). 4 US a boaster. be blowed if one will sl. be unwilling to. blow-ball the globular seed-head of a dandelion etc. blow-dry arrange (the hair) while drying it with a hand-held drier. blow-drier (or -dryer) a drier used for this. blow the gaff reveal a secret inadvertently. blow-hole 1 the nostril of a whale, on the top of its head. 2 a hole (esp. in ice) for breathing or fishing through. 3 a vent for air, smoke, etc., in a tunnel etc. blow hot and cold colloq. vacillate. blow in 1 break inwards by an explosion. 2 colloq. arrive unexpectedly. blow-job coarse sl. fellatio; cunnilingus. blow a kiss kiss one's hand and wave it to a distant person. blow a person's mind sl. cause a person to have drug-induced hallucinations or a similar experience. blow off 1 escape or allow (steam etc.) to escape forcibly. 2 sl. break wind noisily. blow on (or upon) make stale; discredit. blow out 1 a extinguish by blowing. b send outwards by an explosion. 2 (of a tyre) burst. 3 (of a fuse etc.) melt. blow-out n. colloq. 1 a burst tyre. 2 a melted fuse. 3 a huge meal. blow over (of trouble etc.) fade away without serious consequences. blow one's own trumpet praise oneself. blow one's top (US stack) colloq. explode in rage. blow up 1 a shatter or destroy by an explosion. b explode, erupt. 2 colloq. rebuke strongly. 3 inflate (a tyre etc.). 4 colloq. a enlarge (a photograph). b exaggerate. 5 colloq. come to notice; arise. 6 colloq. lose one's temper. blow-up n. 1 colloq. an enlargement (of a photograph etc.). 2 an explosion. blow the whistle on see WHISTLE.
[ OE blawan f. Gmc ]