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.
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.
3. The spouting of a whale.
4. (Metal.) A single heat or operation of the Bessemer converter. Raymond.
5. An egg, or a larva, deposited by a fly on or in flesh, or the act of depositing it. Chapman.
Blowball
(Blow"ball`) n. The downy seed head of a dandelion, which children delight to blow away. B.
Jonson.
Blowen
(Blow"en Blow"ess) n. A prostitute; a courtesan; a strumpet. [Low] Smart.
Blower
(Blow"er) n.
1. One who, or that which, blows.
2. (Mech.) A device for producing a current of air; as: (a) A metal plate temporarily placed before the
upper part of a grate or open fire. (b) A machine for producing an artificial blast or current of air by
pressure, as for increasing the draft of a furnace, ventilating a building or shaft, cleansing gram, etc.
3. A blowing out or excessive discharge of gas from a hole or fissure in a mine.
4. The whale; — so called by seamen, from the circumstance of its spouting up a column of water.
5. (Zoöl.) A small fish of the Atlantic coast (Tetrodon turgidus); the puffer.
6. A braggart, or loud talker. [Slang] Bartlett.
Blowfly
(Blow"fly`) n. (Zoöl.) Any species of fly of the genus Musca that deposits its eggs or young larvæ
(called flyblows and maggots) upon meat or other animal products.
Blowgun
(Blow"gun`) n. A tube, as of cane or reed, sometimes twelve feet long, through which an arrow
or other projectile may be impelled by the force of the breath. It is a weapon much used by certain Indians
of America and the West Indies; — called also blowpipe, and blowtube. See Sumpitan.
Blowhole
(Blow"hole`) n.
1. A cavern in a cliff, at the water level, opening to the air at its farther extremity, so that the waters rush
in with each surge and rise in a lofty jet from the extremity.
2. A nostril or spiracle in the top of the head of a whale or other cetacean.
There are two spiracles or blowholes in the common whales, but only one in sperm whales, porpoises,
etc.
3. A hole in the ice to which whales, seals, etc., come to breathe.
4. (Founding) An air hole in a casting.
Blown
(Blown) p. p. & a.
1. Swollen; inflated; distended; puffed up, as cattle when gorged with green food which develops gas.
