BLOW, n. [This probably is a contracted word, and the primary sense must be, to strike, thrust, push, or throw, that is, to drive. I have not found it in the cognate dialects. If g or other palatal letter is lost, it corresponds in elements with the L.plaga fligo; Eng.flog.] 1. The act of striking; more generally the stroke; a violent application of the hand, fist, or an instrument to an object.2. The fatal stroke; a stroke that kills; hence, death.3. An act of hostility; as, the nation which strikes the first blow. Hence, to come to blows, is to engage in combat, whether by individuals, armies, fleets or nations; and when by nations, it is war.4. A sudden calamity; a sudden or severe evil. In like manner, plaga in Latin gives rise to the Eng. plague.5. A single act; a sudden event; as, to gain or lose a province at a blow, or by one blow.At a stroke is used in like manner.6. An ovum or egg deposited by a fly, on flesh or other substance, called a fly-blow.BLOW, v.t. pret. blew; pp.blown. [L.flo, to blow. This word probably is from the same root as bloom, blossom, blow, a flower.] 1. To make a current of air; to move as air; as, the wind blows. Often used with it; as, it blows a gale.2. To pant; to puff; to breathe hard or quick.Here is Mrs. Page at the door, sweating and blowing.3. To breathe; as, to blow hot and cold.4. To sound with being blown, as a horn or trumpet.5. To flower; to blossom; to bloom; as plants.How blows the citron grove.To blow over, to pass away without effect;to cease or be dissipated; as, the storm or the clouds are blown over. To blow up, to rise in the air; also, to be broken and scattered by the explosion of gunpowder. BLOW, v.t. To throw or drive a current of air upon; as, to blow the fire; also, to fan. 1. To drive by a current of air; to impel; as, the tempest blew the ship ashore.2. To breathe upon, for the purpose of warming; as, to blow the fingers in a cold day.3. To sound a wind instrument; as, blow the trumpet.4. To spread by report.And through the court his courtesy was blown.5. To deposit eggs, as flies.6. To form bubbles by blowing.7. To swell and inflate, as veal; a practice of butchers.8. To form glass into a particular shape by the breath, as in glass manufactories.9. To melt tin, after being first burnt to destroy the mundic.To blow away, to dissipate; to scatter with wind. To blow down, to prostrate by wind. To blow off, to shave down by wind, as to blow off fruit from trees; to drive from land, as to blow off a ship. To blow out, to extinguish by a current of air, as a candle. To blow up,to fill with air; to swell; as, to blow up a bladder or a bubble. 10. To inflate; to puff up; as, to blow up one with flattery. 11. To kindle; as, to blow up a contention. 12. To burst, to raise into the air,or to scatter, by the explosion of gunpowder. Figuratively, to scatter or bring to naught suddenly; as, to blow up a scheme. To blow upon, to make stale; as, to blow upon an author's works. BLOW, n. A flower; a blossom. This word is in general use in the U. States, and legitimate. In the Tatler, it is used for blossoms in general, as we use blowth. 1. Among seamen, a gale of wind. This also is a legitimate word, in general use in the U. States.
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