bellows

¹ American  

[bel-ohz, -uhz] / ˈbɛl oʊz, -əz /

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. a device for producing a strong current of air, consisting of a chamber that can be expanded to draw in air through a valve and contracted to expel it through a tube.

2. anything resembling or suggesting bellows in form, as the collapsible part of a camera or enlarger.

3. the lungs.

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Bellows ² American  

[bel-ohz] / ˈbɛl oʊz /

noun

1. George Wesley, 1882–1925, U.S. painter and lithographer.

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bellows British  

/ ˈbɛləʊz /

noun

1. Also called: pair of bellows.  an instrument consisting of an air chamber with flexible sides or end, a means of compressing it, an inlet valve, and a constricted outlet that is used to create a stream of air, as for producing a draught for a fire or for sounding organ pipes

2. photog a telescopic light-tight sleeve, connecting the lens system of some cameras to the body of the instrument

3. a flexible corrugated element used as an expansion joint, pump, or means of transmitting axial motion

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Other Word Forms

• bellowslike adjective

Etymology

Origin of bellows

before 900; Middle English bel(o ) wes (plural), Old English belg, short for blǣst belg, plural belgas blast-bag; cognate with Dutch blaasbalg, German Blasebalg, Old Norse belgr. See belly

Explanation

A bellows is a bag-like device with handles that's used to blow air onto a fire to keep the flame burning. If you have a fireplace in your house, you might have a bellows too. The kind of bellows that provides extra oxygen to a dwindling fire is similar to other types of bellows: they all involve a bag of air. Various instruments use a bellows, to provide a constant flow of air. Accordions, some organs, and bagpipes all have this kind of bellows. In the 13th century, the word was belwes, literally "bags," from the Old English belg, "bag or purse."

Example Sentences

As the host, Donald Trump puts his arm around the contestant’s shoulder, points to a box on the stage and bellows, “Show me the money!”

From Salon • Nov. 21, 2025

A red deer stag bellows during the autumn rut at Bradgate Park, as captured by Miss Smart from a safe distance.

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2025

“Of course it’s folly!” he bellows, his voice shaking.

From New York Times • May 30, 2024

They liken the mechanism to a toy known as a stomp rocket, in which stomping on an air-filled plastic bellows shoots a foam rocket into the air.

From Science Magazine • May 27, 2024

How many bellows would they ever have to ask for?

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye