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blast

[blast, blahst]
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noun
  1. a sudden and violent gust of wind: Wintry blasts chilled us to the marrow.
  2. the blowing of a trumpet, whistle, etc.: One blast of the siren was enough to clear the street.
  3. a loud, sudden sound or noise: The radio let out an awful blast before I could turn it off.
  4. a forcible stream of air from the mouth, bellows, or the like.
  5. Machinery.
    1. air forced into a furnace by a blower to increase the rate of combustion.
    2. a jet of steam directed up a smokestack, as of a steam locomotive, to increase draft.
    3. a draft thus increased.
  6. a forceful or explosive throw, hit, etc.: a blast down the third-base line.
  7. Slang.
    1. a party or riotously good time: Did we have a blast last night!
    2. something that gives great pleasure or enjoyment; thrill; treat: My new electronic game is a blast.
  8. a vigorous outburst of criticism; attack.
  9. blast wave.
  10. Mining, Civil Engineering. the charge of dynamite or other explosive used at one firing in blasting operations.
  11. the act of exploding; explosion: Some say the blast was in the next county.
  12. any pernicious or destructive influence, especially on animals or plants; a blight.
  13. the sudden death of buds, flowers, or young fruit.
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verb (used with object)
  1. to make a loud noise on; blow (a trumpet, automobile horn, etc.): He blasted his horn irritably at every car in his way.
  2. to cause to shrivel or wither; blight.
  3. to affect with any pernicious influence; ruin; destroy: Failure in the exam blasted her hopes for college. It was an indiscretion that blasted his good reputation.
  4. to break up or dislodge (a tree stump, rock, etc.): Their explosives were inadequate to blast the granite.
  5. to make, form, open up, etc., by blasting: to blast a tunnel through a mountain.
  6. to show to be false, unreliable, etc.; discredit: His facts soundly blasted the new evidence.
  7. Informal. to curse; damn (usually followed by it or an object): Blast it, there's the phone again! Blast the time, we've got to finish this work.
  8. to censure or criticize vigorously; denounce: In his campaign speech he really blasts the other party.
  9. to hit or propel with great force: He blasted a homer that tied the game. They were blasted into outer space.
  10. to shoot: The terrorists blasted him down.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to produce a loud, blaring sound: The trumpets blasted as the overture began. His voice blasted until the microphone was turned down.
  2. to shoot: He whipped out his revolver and started blasting.
  3. Slang. to take narcotics.
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Verb Phrases
  1. blast off,
    1. (of a rocket) to leave a launch pad under its own power.
    2. (of an astronaut) to travel aloft in a rocket.
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Idioms
  1. at full blast, at maximum capacity; at or with full volume or speed: The factory is going at full blast.Also full blast.
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Origin of blast

before 1000; 1955–60 for def 7a; Middle English (noun and v.); Old English blǣst (noun) a blowing; akin to Old Norse blāstr, Old High German blāst (derivative of blāsan, cognate with Gothic ufblēsan, Old Norse blāsa). See blow2
Related formsblast·er, nounblast·y, adjective

Synonyms

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1. squall, gale, blow, storm. See wind1. 2. blare, screech. 11. discharge, outburst. 16. annihilate.

blasto-

  1. a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words: blastosphere.
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Also especially before a vowel, blast-.
See also -blast.

Origin of blasto-

< Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout

-blast

  1. a combining form meaning “bud, sprout,” “embryo,” “formative cells or cell layer,” used in the formation of compound words: ectoblast.
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Origin of -blast

< Greek, combining form of blastós a bud, sprout
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

blowroarburstcrasheruptionoutbreakvolleydetonationoutburststormriotdemolishbombinjureshatterdamagedetonatekilldestroywreck

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British Dictionary definitions for blast

blast

noun
  1. an explosion, as of dynamite
    1. the rapid movement of air away from the centre of an explosion, combustion of rocket fuel, etc
    2. a wave of overpressure caused by an explosion; shock wave
  3. the charge of explosive used in a single explosion
  4. a sudden strong gust of wind or air
  5. a sudden loud sound, as of a trumpet
  6. a violent verbal outburst, as of criticism
  7. a forcible jet or stream of air, esp one used to intensify the heating effect of a furnace, increase the draught in a steam engine, or break up coal at a coalface
  8. any of several diseases of plants and animals, esp one producing withering in plants
  9. US slang a very enjoyable or thrilling experiencethe party was a blast
  10. full blast or at full blast at maximum speed, volume, etc
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interjection
  1. slang an exclamation of annoyance (esp in phrases such as blast it! and blast him!)
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verb
  1. to destroy or blow up with explosives, shells, etc
  2. to make or cause to make a loud harsh noise
  3. (tr) to remove, open, etc, by an explosionto blast a hole in a wall
  4. (tr) to ruin; shatterthe rain blasted our plans for a picnic
  5. to wither or cause to wither; blight or be blighted
  6. to criticize severely
  7. to shoot or shoot athe blasted the hat off her head; he blasted away at the trees
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See also blastoff
Derived Formsblaster, noun

Word Origin

Old English blǣst, related to Old Norse blāstr

-blast

n combining form
  1. (in biology) indicating an embryonic cell or formative layermesoblast
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Word Origin

from Greek blastos bud

blasto-

combining form
  1. (in biology) indicating an embryo or bud or the process of buddingblastoderm
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Word Origin

from Greek blastos; see -blast
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for blast

n.

Old English blæst "blowing, breeze, puff of wind," from Proto-Germanic *bles- (cf. Old Norse blastr, Old High German blast "a blowing, blast," German blasen, Gothic blesan "to blow"), from PIE *bhle- "to blow," probably a variant of root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (see bole).

Meaning "explosion" is from 1630s; that of "noisy party, good time" is from 1953, American English slang. Sense of "strong current of air for iron-smelting" (1690s) led to blast furnace and transferred sense in full blast "the extreme" (1839). Blast was the usual word for "a smoke of tobacco" c.1600.

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v.

Old English blæstan "to blow, belch forth," from the root of blast (n.). Since 16c., often "to breathe on balefully." Meaning "to blow up by explosion" is from 1758. Related: Blasted; blasting. Blast off (n.) is attested from 1950.

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blasto-

before vowels blast-, word-forming element used in scientific compounds to mean "germ, bud," from Greek blasto-, comb. form of blastos "sprout, germ," of unknown origin.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
blast in Medicine

-blast

suff.
  1. An immature, embryonic stage in the development of cells or tissues:erythroblast.
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blasto-

pref.
  1. Bud; germ; budding; germination:blastocyst.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Idioms and Phrases with blast

blast

In addition to the idiom beginning with blast

  • blast off

also see:

  • full blast
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The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.