billow

noun

bil·low | \ ˈbi-(ˌ)lō

Definition of billow

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : wave especially : a great wave or surge of water the rolling billows of the sea

2 : a rolling mass (as of flame or smoke) that resembles a high wave Billows of smoke poured out of the building. billows of fog

billow

verb

billowed; billowing; billows

Definition of billow (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to rise or roll in waves or surges the billowing sea

2 : to bulge or swell out (as through action of the wind) billowing clouds … the flags … billowed out in pride …— G. B. Oxnam

transitive verb

: to cause to billow a field of burning grass billowing thick black clouds of smoke into the sky— Donald Windham

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Examples of billow in a Sentence

Noun

Billows of smoke poured out of the burning building. the rolling billows of the sea

Verb

the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Inside billows of wildfire smoke is not usually a place that people would choose to be. — Mary Beth Griggs, The Verge, "Scientists fly through plumes of wildfire smoke to unravel its mysteries," 21 Nov. 2018 An early morning fire at a Tacoma scrap-metal that sent billows of noxious smoke into the air was brought under control and air quality was improving, according to local and state authorities. — Agueda Pacheco-flores, The Seattle Times, "Noxious Tacoma scrap-metal fire under control; nearby air quality has improved," 17 Sep. 2018 From the blazing buildings crimson and golden tongues of flame arose that illuminated the rising billows of smoke. — Mary Horlock, Longreads, "The Camouflage Artist: Two Worlds Wars, Two Loves, and One Great Deception," 21 June 2018 Pasadena is struggling to end suicides from the span without diminishing its historic beauty From its western entrance, Pasadena’s Colorado Street Bridge billows gently to the left 150 feet above the Arroyo Seco. — Matthew Segal, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Complicated Case of the Colorado Street Bridge," 18 June 2018 There’s a faint whirring noise as the blade sinks into the skeleton, and clouds of coral dust billow in the surrounding water. — Elizabeth Svoboda, Scientific American, "Cores from Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 6 June 2018 Boot-heel billows of trail dust from a gravel parking lot. — Mike Sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Love or something like it at Texas 46 BBQ," 31 May 2018 AThe hydrochloric acid steam cloud billows into the air, along with fine particles of glass. — John Bacon, USA TODAY, "Hawaii on edge as lava reaches power plant: 'No one has faced this before'," 22 May 2018 The big brawls occur inside cartoon-style billows of smoke. — Colin Covert, idahostatesman, "Wes Anderson’s animated ‘Isle of Dogs’ is a delight with bite | Idaho Statesman," 12 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Smoke was billowing from the roof of a two-story apartment building when fire crews arrived. — Mike Hendricks, kansascity, "In a tragic loop, firefighters continue to die from preventable mistakes," 13 July 2018 At 5:42 am EDT on June 29, smoke will billow and flames will light up the predawn sky as SpaceX sends its final block 4 Falcon to space—completing its fifteenth mission to resupply the International Space Station. — Amy Thompson, WIRED, "SpaceX Is About to Launch Its Final Block 4 Falcon," 28 June 2018 Footage shared on social media showed flames and smoke billowing from the roof. — Yonette Joseph, New York Times, "Glasgow Jewel Goes Up in Flames for Second Time in 4 Years," 16 June 2018 Palestinians look at smoke billowing from the site of an Israeli air strike on a Hamas' military site in Beit Lahia near the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of Jabalia on May 14, 2018. — Kate Samuelson, Time, "What to Know About the Jerusalem Embassy Opening and the Palestinian Protests," 14 May 2018 On one side, vivid images of volleys of tear gas, thick black smoke billowing from burning tires, panicked medics rushing away the wounded and the dead. — Ben Wedeman, CNN, "The dream of 'peace in our time' in the Middle East died on Monday," 14 May 2018 Captain Edwin Holmes said in a news release the fire was reported just after 12:30 p.m. When firefighters arrived about 10 minutes later, there was heavy smoke billowing from a tugboat named Uncle Robert. — Marie Simoneaux, NOLA.com, "Tugboat catches fire in Mississippi River near Poland Avenue Wharf," 7 May 2018 Images posted on social media showed smoke billowing from the building. — Suliman Ali Zway, New York Times, "Suicide Attack Targets Electoral Commission in Libya," 2 May 2018 At a demonstration point near Gaza City, protesters began burning the tires on Thursday afternoon, with rock-throwers taking cover behind the thick billowing black smoke. — BostonGlobe.com, "Fears of more violence rise in Gaza ahead of tire-burning protest," 5 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'billow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.