BILLOW


Meaning of BILLOW in English

I. ˈbi(ˌ)lō, -_lə, often -_ləw+V noun

( -s )

Etymology: probably from Old Norse bylgja; akin to Middle High German bulge billow, Middle Low German bülge, Old Norse belgr bag — more at belly

1.

a. : a large swelling wave of water especially in the open sea

the billows rose and fell, flashing in the sunlight

b. : a marked undulation of water

the small boat cut swiftly through the lake's quiet billows

2. : a rolling or swirling surge

billows of flame swept through the forest

: an undulating or swelling mass

billows of marching regiments wound through the valley

II. verb

( -ed/-ing/-s )

intransitive verb

1. : to rise or roll in waves or surges : surge , undulate

the restless billowing sea

the smoke from the houses thickened and spread, bellied out, billowed up — Kenneth Roberts

2. : to bulge or swell out in billows (as through the action of the wind)

billowing clouds

the flags in front of the Supreme Court building billowed out in pride — G.B.Oxnam

the girl flashed on, her pretty skirt billowing — Irwin Shaw

transitive verb

: to cause to billow

a high wind was blowing from the west, billowing the sleeves and skirts of women's dresses — Ellen Glasgow

a field of burning grass billowing thick black clouds of smoke into the sky — Donald Windham

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.