billow
[ bil-oh ]
/ ˈbɪl oʊ /
noun
a great wave or surge of the sea.
any surging mass: billows of smoke.
verb (used without object)
to rise or roll in or like billows; surge.
to swell out, puff up, etc., as by the action of wind: flags billowing in the breeze.
verb (used with object)
to make rise, surge, swell, or the like: A sudden wind billowed the tent alarmingly.
Nearby words
Origin of billow
1545–55; < Old Norse bylgja wave, cognate with Middle Low German bulge; akin to Old English gebylgan to anger, provoke
Related formsun·der·bil·low, verb (used without object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for billowing
British Dictionary definitions for billowing
billow
/ (ˈbɪləʊ) /
noun
a large sea wave
a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound
a large atmospheric wave, usually in the lee of a hill
(plural) poetic the sea itself
verb
to rise up, swell out, or cause to rise up or swell out
Derived Formsbillowing, adjective, noun
Word Origin for billow
C16: from Old Norse bylgja; related to Swedish bōlja, Danish bölg, Middle High German bulge; see bellow, belly
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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