Definition of billow
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
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Examples of billow in a Sentence
Billows of smoke poured out of the burning building.
the rolling billows of the sea
Recent Examples of billow from the Web
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A North Korean factory billows smoke near the Yalu river near Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong, on April 16, 2017.
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However, there are also more colorful takes, like turquoise and gold, or even riffs on Sienna marble with billows of yellows, purples, reds, and blues.
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At 7:50 p.m., as an audience of 1,500 gazed up at a St. Petersburg drawing room rendered in Technicolor reds and blues, a thundering detonation flashed from orchestra row GG, followed by billows of ashen smoke.
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Most are crowned with billows of frosting: The higher the peaks, the more crowd-pleasing the result.
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All chicken soups are alike at the start: a dead bird in water, boiling flesh, a billow of steam, grains of salt in the cook’s palm.
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But the creamy billow inside benefits from the rustic Romesco dipping sauce served alongside.
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.
Origin and Etymology of billow
Old Norse bylgja; akin to Old High German balg bag — more at belly
billow
Definition of billow
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
Examples of billow in a Sentence
the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind
Recent Examples of billow from the Web
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Lana Del Rey’s next performance probably won’t feature her wrapped in an American flag or show one billowing in the wind.
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The driver is heard talking on a radio and then the van begins to travel forward as billowing black smoke looms in front of it.
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MORE TROUBLE Six laps after the Keselowski-Johnson-Bowyer crash sent smoke billowing across the infield, Kasey Kahne and Trevor Bayne tangled in Turn 1 and hit the wall in another dramatic dustup.
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A billowing cloak that faded from gray to blue was fastened by a large fairytale black velvet bow.
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Volunteer firefighter Joe Robinson tweeted a photo of the blaze, which shows smoke billowing in the distance.
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Although intimidating looking Kuznetsov is old and suffers from a variety of issues, including a breakdown in the Bay of Biscay and issuing huge pillars of billowing black smoke.
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A scrapyard fire on North Tryon Street has produced billowing black smoke visible from throughout uptown Charlotte on Monday afternoon.
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Baez depicts Laveau as a vision of abundance, defined by the billowing kinks of her hair, which fill the 61/2 -foot-tall gouache and graphite picture to its wavy edges.
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.
Origin and Etymology of billow
see 1billow
BILLOW Defined for English Language Learners
billow
playDefinition of billow for English Language Learners
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: a moving cloud or mass of smoke, steam, etc.
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: a large wave
billow
Definition of billow for English Language Learners
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: to move as a large cloud or mass
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: to be pushed outward by air
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: to rise or roll in waves
BILLOW Defined for Kids
Definition of billow for Students
1 : a large wave … the billows rose and fell unbroken. — Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
2 : a moving cloud or mass (as of smoke or flame)
Definition of billow for Students
billowed
;billowing
1 : to rise or roll in large waves the billowing ocean
2 : to move as a large cloud or mass Smoke billowed from the chimney.
3 : to bulge or swell out Sails billowed in the breeze.
Learn More about billow
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for billow Spanish Central: Translation of billow Nglish: Translation of billow for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of billow for Arabic speakers
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