BLOW

I. verb (blew; ~n; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English blāwan; akin to Old High German blāen to ~, Latin flare, Greek phallos penis Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. of air to be in motion , to move with speed or force , to move or run quickly , to send forth a current of air or other gas , 3. to make a sound by or as if by ~ing, sound , 4. boast , to talk windily, 5. pant , gasp , to eject moisture-laden air from the lungs through the ~hole, to move or be carried by or as if by wind , 7. erupt , explode , to melt when overloaded, to release the contained air through a spontaneous rupture, transitive verb 1. to set (gas or vapor) in motion , to act on with a current of gas or vapor , 2. to play or sound on (a wind instrument), to play (as a note) on a wind instrument, 3. to spread by report, damn , 4. to drive with a current of gas or vapor , to clear of contents by forcible passage of a current of air , to project (a gesture or sound made with the mouth) by ~ing , 5. to distend with or as if with gas, to produce or shape by the action of ~n or injected air , to deposit eggs or larvae on or in, to shatter, burst, or destroy by explosion , 8. to put out of breath with exertion, to let (as a horse) pause to catch the breath, 9. to expend (as money) extravagantly, to treat with unusual expenditure , to cause (a fuse) to ~, to rupture by too much pressure , 12. botch 1 , to fail to keep or hold , to leave hurriedly , to propel with great force or speed , II. noun Date: 1651 a ~ing of wind especially when strong or violent, brag , boasting, an act or instance of ~ing, 4. the time during which air is forced through molten metal to refine it, the quantity of metal refined during that time, cocaine , III. intransitive verb (blew; ~n; ~ing) Etymology: Middle English, from Old English blōwan; akin to Old High German bluoen to bloom, Latin florēre to bloom, flor-, flos flower Date: before 12th century flower , bloom , IV. noun Date: 1710 blossoms, bloom II,1b , V. noun Etymology: Middle English (northern dialect) blaw; probably akin to Old High German bliuwan to beat Date: 15th century a forcible stroke delivered with a part of the body or with an instrument, a hostile act or state ; combat , a forcible or sudden act or effort ; assault , an unfortunate or calamitous happening