blow

The word “blow” means to produce a current of air, especially by expelling breath through the mouth. In plain terms, to move air with force, to explode, to waste something, or (as a noun) a hit or a setback.

“Blow” is pronounced bloh (/bloʊ/ in IPA).

Here is “blow” used in a sentence: “A cold wind was blowing across the fields.”

Depending on how it is used, “blow” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “blow” comes from Latin. From Old English blawan ("to blow, breathe, sound"), from a Proto-Germanic root meaning to swell or blow up — related to Latin flo, "to blow.".

“Blow” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Blow” has 5 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to produce a current of air, especially by expelling breath through the mouth.

Blow is an irregular verb. Its simple past tense is 'blew,' as in 'the wind blew all night,' while the past participle is 'blown,' as in 'the roof had blown off.' Because these forms do not follow the regular '-ed' pattern, they are among the most commonly looked-up English verb forms.

Beyond producing a current of air, 'blow' carries many senses. It can mean to move air forcefully (the wind blows), to shape by air (blow glass), to sound an instrument (blow a whistle), to waste money, or to ruin an opportunity. As a noun it also means a hard hit or a sudden setback.

No. While blowing often means expelling breath, as when you blow out candles, the word also describes any strong movement of air. The wind blows, a fan blows cool air, and a storm can blow a door open. In each case something produces or is moved by a current of air.

You might say, 'She leaned over the cake to blow out the candles,' or 'Blow on your soup to cool it down.' Both show the core meaning of pushing air from the mouth. Weather uses it too: 'A cold wind began to blow across the open field,' describing moving air rather than breath.