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: blow, bump]
    3: an unfortunate happening that hinders or impedes; something
       that is thwarting or frustrating [syn: reverse, reversal,
       setback, blow, black eye]
    4: an unpleasant or disappointing surprise; "it came as a shock
       to learn that he was injured" [syn: shock, blow]
    5: a strong current of air; "the tree was bent almost double by
       the gust" [syn: gust, blast, blow]
    6: street names for cocaine [syn: coke, blow, 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: blow, 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, blow]
    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, bodge,
       bumble, fumble, botch up, muff, blow, 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, blow, squander]
       [ant: conserve, economise, economize, husband]
    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, suck, blow, 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,
        blow]
    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, blow, 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,
        blow]
    22: burst suddenly; "The tire blew"; "We blew a tire"

Blow \Blow\, v. i. [imp. Blew (bl[=u]); p. p. Blown
   (bl[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. Blowing.] [OE. blawen, blowen,
   AS. bl[=a]wan to blow, as wind; akin to OHG. pl[=a]jan, G.
   bl[aum]hen, to blow up, swell, L. flare to blow, Gr.
   'ekflai`nein to spout out, and to E. bladder, blast, inflate,
   etc., and perh. blow to bloom.]
   1. To produce a current of air; to move, as air, esp. to move
      rapidly or with power; as, the wind blows.
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            Hark how it rains and blows !         --Walton.
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   2. To send forth a forcible current of air, as from the mouth
      or from a pair of bellows.
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   3. To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
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            Here is Mistress Page at the door, sweating and
            blowing.                              --Shak.
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   4. To sound on being blown into, as a trumpet.
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            There let the pealing organ blow.     --Milton.
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   5. To spout water, etc., from the blowholes, as a whale.
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   6. To be carried or moved by the wind; as, the dust blows in
      from the street.
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            The grass blows from their graves to thy own. --M.
                                                  Arnold.
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   7. To talk loudly; to boast; to storm. [Colloq.]
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            You blow behind my back, but dare not say anything
            to my face.                           --Bartlett.
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   8. To stop functioning due to a failure in an electrical
      circuit, especially on which breaks the circuit; sometimes
      used with out; -- used of light bulbs, electronic
      components, fuses; as, the dome light in the car blew out.
      [PJC]

   9. To deflate by sudden loss of air; usually used with out;
      -- of inflatable tires.
      [PJC]

   To blow hot and cold (a saying derived from a fable of
      [AE]sop's), to favor a thing at one time and treat it
      coldly at another; or to appear both to favor and to
      oppose.

   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.
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Blow \Blow\ (bl[=o]), v. i. [imp. Blew (bl[=u]); p. p. Blown
   (bl[=o]n); p. pr. & vb. n. Blowing.] [OE. blowen, AS.
   bl[=o]wan to blossom; akin to OS. bl[=o]jan, D. bloeijen,
   OHG. pluojan, MHG. bl["u]ejen, G. bl["u]hen, L. florere to
   flourish, OIr. blath blossom. Cf. Blow to puff,
   Flourish.]
   To flower; to blossom; to bloom.
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         How blows the citron grove.              --Milton.
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Blow \Blow\, v. t.
   To cause to blossom; to put forth (blossoms or flowers).
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         The odorous banks, that blow
         Flowers of more mingled hue.             --Milton.
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Blow \Blow\, n. (Bot.)
   A blossom; a flower; also, a state of blossoming; a mass of
   blossoms. "Such a blow of tulips." --Tatler.
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Blow \Blow\, n. [OE. blaw, blowe; cf. OHG. bliuwan, pliuwan, to
   beat, G. bl[aum]uen, Goth. bliggwan.]
   1. A forcible stroke with the hand, fist, or some instrument,
      as a rod, a club, an ax, or a sword.
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            Well struck ! there was blow for blow. --Shak.
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   2. A sudden or forcible act or effort; an assault.
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            A vigorous blow might win [Hanno's camp]. --T.
                                                  Arnold.
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   3. The infliction of evil; a sudden calamity; something which
      produces mental, physical, or financial suffering or loss
      (esp. when sudden); a buffet.
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            A most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows.
                                                  --Shak.
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   At a blow, suddenly; at one effort; by a single vigorous
      act. "They lose a province at a blow." --Dryden.

   To come to blows, to engage in combat; to fight; -- said of
      individuals, armies, and nations.
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   Syn: Stroke; knock; shock; misfortune.
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Blow \Blow\, v. t.
   1. To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other
      means; as, to blow the fire.
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   2. To drive by a current air; to impel; as, the tempest blew
      the ship ashore.
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            Off at sea northeast winds blow
            Sabean odors from the spicy shore.    --Milton.
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   3. To cause air to pass through by the action of the mouth,
      or otherwise; to cause to sound, as a wind instrument; as,
      to blow a trumpet; to blow an organ; to blow a horn.
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            Hath she no husband
            That will take pains to blow a horn before her?
                                                  --Shak.
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            Boy, blow the pipe until the bubble rise,
            Then cast it off to float upon the skies. --Parnell.
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   4. To clear of contents by forcing air through; as, to blow
      an egg; to blow one's nose.
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   5. To burst, shatter, or destroy by an explosion; -- usually
      with up, down, open, or similar adverb; as, to blow up a
      building.
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   6. To spread by report; to publish; to disclose; to reveal,
      intentionally or inadvertently; as, to blow an agent's
      cover.
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            Through the court his courtesy was blown. --Dryden.
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            His language does his knowledge blow. --Whiting.
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   7. To form by inflation; to swell by injecting air; as, to
      blow bubbles; to blow glass.
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   8. To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
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            Look how imagination blows him.       --Shak.
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   9. To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue; as,
      to blow a horse. --Sir W. Scott.
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   10. To deposit eggs or larv[ae] upon, or in (meat, etc.).
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             To suffer
             The flesh fly blow my mouth.         --Shak.
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   11. To perform an act of fellatio on; to stimulate another's
       penis with one's mouth; -- usually considered vulgar.
       [slang]
       [PJC]

   12. to smoke (e. g. marijuana); to blow pot. [colloq.]
       [PJC]

   13. to botch; to bungle; as, he blew his chance at a good job
       by showing up late for the interview. [colloq.]
       [PJC]

   14. to leave; to depart from; as, to blow town. [slang]
       [PJC]

   15. to squander; as, he blew his inheritance gambling.
       [colloq.]
       [PJC]

   To blow great guns, to blow furiously and with roaring
      blasts; -- said of the wind at sea or along the coast.

   To blow off, to empty (a boiler) of water through the
      blow-off pipe, while under steam pressure; also, to eject
      (steam, water, sediment, etc.) from a boiler.

   To blow one's own trumpet, to vaunt one's own exploits, or
      sound one's own praises.

   To blow out, to extinguish by a current of air, as a
      candle.

   To blow up.
       (a) To fill with air; to swell; as, to blow up a bladder
           or bubble.
       (b) To inflate, as with pride, self-conceit, etc.; to
           puff up; as, to blow one up with flattery. "Blown up
           with high conceits engendering pride." --Milton.
       (c) To excite; as, to blow up a contention.
       (d) To burst, to raise into the air, or to scatter, by an
           explosion; as, to blow up a fort.
       (e) To scold violently; as, to blow up a person for some
           offense. [Colloq.]
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                 I have blown him up well -- nobody can say I
                 wink at what he does.            --G. Eliot.
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   To blow upon.
       (a) To blast; to taint; to bring into discredit; to
           render stale, unsavory, or worthless.
       (b) To inform against. [Colloq.]
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                 How far the very custom of hearing anything
                 spouted withers and blows upon a fine passage,
                 may be seen in those speeches from
                 [Shakespeare's] Henry V. which are current in
                 the mouths of schoolboys.        --C. Lamb.
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                 A lady's maid whose character had been blown
                 upon.                            --Macaulay.
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Blow \Blow\, n.
   1. A blowing, esp., a violent blowing of the wind; a gale;
      as, a heavy blow came on, and the ship put back to port.
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   2. The act of forcing air from the mouth, or through or from
      some instrument; as, to give a hard blow on a whistle or
      horn; to give the fire a blow with the bellows.
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   3. The spouting of a whale.
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   4. (Metal.) A single heat or operation of the Bessemer
      converter. --Raymond.
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   5. An egg, or a larva, deposited by a fly on or in flesh, or
      the act of depositing it. --Chapman.
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