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Origin and history of blown

blown(adj.)

early 15c., "inflated," from Old English blawen, past participle of blow (v.1). Figurative sense of "inflated by pride" is from late 15c. Meaning "out of breath" is from 1670s. As a past-participle adjective from blow (v.2), "fully expanded or open," as a flower, it was Old English geblowenne.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to blown

blow(v.1)

"move air, produce a current of air," Middle English blouen, from Old English blawan "to blow (of the wind, bellows, etc.), breathe, make an air current; kindle; inflate; sound" a wind instrument (class VII strong verb; past tense bleow, past participle blawen), from Proto-Germanic *blæ-anan (source of Old High German blaen, German blähen), according to Watkins from PIE root *bhle- "to blow."

The transitive sense of "carry by a wind or current of air" is from c. 1300; that of "fill with air, inflate" is from late 14c. Of noses, from 1530s; of electrical fuses, from 1902. The meaning "to squander" (money) is from 1874; that of "lose or bungle" (an opportunity, etc.) is by 1943. The sense of "depart (some place) suddenly" is from 1902.

As a colloquial imprecation by 1781, associated with sailors (as in Popeye's "well, blow me down!"); it has past participle blowed.

To blow (a candle, etc.) out "extinguish by a current of air" is from late 14c. To blow over "pass" is from 1610s, originally of storms. To blow hot and cold "vacillate" is from 1570s. To blow off steam (1837) is a figurative use from steam engines releasing pressure. Slang blow (someone or something) off "dismiss, ignore" is by 1986. To blow (someone's) mind was in use by 1967; there is a song title "Blow Your Mind" released in a 1965 Mirawood recording by a group called The Gas Company.

 For the sexual sense, see blow-job. 

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    blow-fly
    meaning "breathe (infectious breath, poison) upon; infect with disease, taint" is by c. 1300, and compare Middle English elf-blown...Blown also was used in other compounds for "stale from exposure to air," which flows into the senses of "tainted, unsavory...
    steam-whistle
    It carries a brass whistle, which is blown by the steam, whenever any animals come upon the track or a cross road is passed...
    spindrift
    "steady spray of salt water blown along the surf in heavy winds," c. 1600, according to OED a Scottish formation from verb...
    kite
    Johnny Burke), sung by Bing Crosby in "The Star Maker" (1939): Go fly a kite and tie your troubles to the tail They'll be blown...
    flute
    Ancient flutes were direct, blown straight through a mouthpiece but held away from the player's mouth; the modern transverse...
    pea
    Pea-shooter "toy consisting of a long straw or tube through which dried peas may be blown" is attested from 1803....
    travel
    late 14c., "to journey," from travailen (1300) "to make a journey," originally "to toil, labor" (see travail). The semantic development may have been via the notion of "go on a difficult journey," but it also may reflect the difficulty of any journey in the Middle Ages. Replaced
    use
    c. 1200, "employ for a purpose," from Old French user "employ, make use of, practice, frequent," from Vulgar Latin *usare "use," frequentative form of past participle stem of Latin uti "make use of, profit by, take advantage of, enjoy, apply, consume," in Old Latin oeti "use, emp
    sue
    late 13c., seuen, "follow after, walk behind," a sense now obsolete, from Anglo-French suer "follow after, continue," Old French suir, sivre "pursue, follow after; sue in court" (Modern French suivre), from Vulgar Latin *sequere "follow," from Latin sequi "follow" (from PIE root
    crow
    general common name of birds of the genus Corvus (the larger sort being sometimes called ravens), Old English crawe, which is held to be imitative of the bird's cry. Compare Old Saxon kraia, Dutch kraai, Old High German chraja, German Kräke. Also other imitative bird-names such a

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