2. To drive by a current air; to impel; as, the tempest blew the ship ashore.
Off at sea northeast winds blow
Sabean odors from the spicy shore.
Milton.
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.
Hath she no husband
That will take pains to blow a horn before her?
Shak.
Boy, blow the pipe until the bubble rise,
Then cast it off to float upon the skies.
Parnell.
4. To clear of contents by forcing air through; as, to blow an egg; to blow one's nose.
5. To burst, shatter, or destroy by an explosion; - - usually with up, down, open, or similar adverb; as,
to blow up a building.
6. To spread by report; to publish; to disclose.
Through the court his courtesy was blown.
Dryden.
His language does his knowledge blow.
Whiting.
7. To form by inflation; to swell by injecting air; as, to blow bubbles; to blow glass.
8. To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
Look how imagination blows him.
Shak.
9. To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue; as, to blow a horse. Sir W. Scott.
10. To deposit eggs or larvæ upon, or in
To suffer
The flesh fly blow my mouth.
Shak.
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.]
I have blown him up well — nobody can say I wink at what he does.
G. Eliot.
—
To blow upon. (a) To blast; to taint; to bring into discredit; to render stale, unsavory, or worthless.
(b) To inform against. [Colloq.]
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.
A lady's maid whose character had been blown upon.
Macaulay.
Blow
(Blow) n.
