billow

1 of 2

noun

bil·​low ˈbi-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce billow (audio)
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
billowy adjective

billow

2 of 2

verb

billowed; billowing; billows

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 skyDonald Windham

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Smoke billows during Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila. Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 15 Oct. 2024 Just like the updrafts, this feeds the fire with fresh, oxygenated air; unlike updrafts, downbursts cause gusts that billow out away from the center of the fire, leading it to spread rapidly in multiple directions at once. Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
The beginning of winter also coincides with stubble burning season, a time when farmers intentionally set fire to crop debris to clear their fields, sending smoke billowing in the skies. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024 The spacecraft, about the size of a microwave oven, unfurled its sail—which billowed out to 860 square feet—in late August. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for billow 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Old Norse bylgja; akin to Old High German balg bag — more at belly

First Known Use

Noun

1552, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1592, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of billow was in 1552

Dictionary Entries Near billow

Cite this Entry

“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billow. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

billow

1 of 2 noun
bil·​low ˈbil-ō How to pronounce billow (audio)
1
: wave entry 2 sense 1
especially : a large wave
2
: a rolling mass like a high wave
billows of smoke

billow

2 of 2 verb
1
: to rise or roll in waves
the billowing ocean
2
: to bulge or swell out
sails billowing in the breeze

More from Merriam-Webster on billow

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