billow

American  

[bil-oh] / ˈbɪl oʊ /

noun

1. a great wave or surge of the sea.

   Synonyms:

   whitecap, roller, comber, breaker, swell

2. any surging mass.

   billows of smoke.

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verb (used without object)

1. to rise or roll in or like billows; surge.

2. to swell out, puff up, etc., as by the action of wind.

   flags billowing in the breeze.

verb (used with object)

1. to make rise, surge, swell, or the like.

   A sudden wind billowed the tent alarmingly.

billow British  

/ ˈbɪləʊ /

noun

1. a large sea wave

2. a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound

3. a large atmospheric wave, usually in the lee of a hill

4. poetic (plural) the sea itself

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verb

1. to rise up, swell out, or cause to rise up or swell out

Other Word Forms

• billowing adjective
• underbillow verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of billow

First recorded in 1545–55; from Old Norse bylgja “wave,” cognate with Middle Low German bulge; akin to Old English gebylgan “to anger, provoke”

Example Sentences

A moment later, the other figures had got into the vehicle, too, and it sped off, leaving a cloud of dust billowing behind them.

From Literature

She had made a small curve in her long skirt so it billowed out, and one hand was over her waist.

From Literature

At around 9:45 a.m. local time, people across Tehran were watching smoke billow from the leader’s compound.

From The Wall Street Journal

I opened the sack just outside the cottage and a thick, dusty powder billowed out.

From Literature

She said she was at a tourist market near her home in the small town of Bucerías, up the coast from Puerto Vallarta, on Sunday when she saw smoke billowing in the distance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• undulate