Waft vs Blow - What's the difference?
waft | blow |
(ergative) To (cause to) float easily or gently through the air.
* A breeze came in through the open window and wafted her sensuous perfume into my eager nostrils.
* 1922 , (James Joyce), Chapter 13
* 1914 , Hugh G. Evelyn-White’s translation of Hymn to Aphrodite from the .[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0138%3Ahymn%3D6]
To be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float.
* Dryden
To give notice to by waving something; to wave the hand to; to beckon.
* Shakespeare
A light breeze.
Something (a scent or odor), such as a perfume, that is carried through the air.
* 1908 ,
* 2010 September, "The SLM'' Calendar", , ISSN 1090-5723, volume 16, issue 9, page 170:
(nautical) A flag, (also called a waif or wheft), used to indicate wind direction or, with a knot tied in the center, as a signal.
Blue.
To produce an air current.
* 1606 , , King Lear , act 3, sc. 2:
* Walton
To propel by an air current.
To be propelled by an air current.
To create or shape by blowing; as in to blow bubbles'', ''to blow glass .
To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means.
To clear of contents by forcing air through.
To cause to make sound by blowing, as a musical instrument.
To make a sound as the result of being blown.
* Milton
(of a cetacean) To exhale visibly through the spout the seawater which it has taken in while feeding.
To explode.
To cause to explode, shatter, or be utterly destroyed.
To cause sudden destruction of.
To suddenly fail destructively.
(slang) To be very undesirable (see also suck).
(slang) To recklessly squander.
(vulgar) To fellate.
To leave.
To make flyblown, to defile, especially with fly eggs.
* 1606 , , Act V, scene 2, line 55.
* 1610 , , act 3 scene 1
(obsolete) To spread by report; to publish; to disclose.
* Dryden
* Whiting
(obsolete) To inflate, as with pride; to puff up.
* Shakespeare
To breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.
* Shakespeare
To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue.
(obsolete) To talk loudly; to boast; to storm.
* Bartlett
A strong wind.
(informal) A chance to catch one’s breath.
(uncountable, US, slang) Cocaine.
(uncountable, UK, slang) Cannabis.
(uncountable, US Chicago Regional, slang) Heroin.
The act of striking or hitting.
A sudden or forcible act or effort; an assault.
* T. Arnold
A damaging occurrence.
* Shakespeare
* {{quote-news, year=2011
, date=April 15
, author=Saj Chowdhury
, title=Norwich 2 - 1 Nott'm Forest
, work=BBC Sport
To blossom; to cause to bloom or blossom.
* 1599 ,
* 1667 ,
* 1784 , William Cowper, Tirocinium; or, A Review of Schools
* '>citation
In intransitive terms the difference between waft and blow
is that waft is to be moved, or to pass, on a buoyant medium; to float while blow is to breathe hard or quick; to pant; to puff.As verbs the difference between waft and blow
is that waft is to (cause to) float easily or gently through the air while blow is to produce an air current.As nouns the difference between waft and blow
is that waft is a light breeze while blow is a strong wind.As an adjective blow is
blue.waft
English
Verb
(en verb)- Through the open window of the church the fragrant incense was wafted and with it the fragrant names of her who was conceived without stain of original sin…
- There the moist breath of the western wind wafted her over the waves of the loud-moaning sea in soft foam, and there the gold-filleted Hours welcomed her joyously.
- And now the shouts waft near the citadel.
- But soft: who wafts us yonder?
Noun
(en noun)- Meanwhile, the wafts from his old home pleaded, whispered, conjured, and finally claimed him imperiously.
- Patrol Magazine says of this Oxford, Miss., band: "Guitars are responsible for every noise in Colour Revolt's mix—not a single note of piano, waft of synthesizer, or evidence of electronic tampering are to be found."
blow
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) blo, bloo, from (etyl) .Adjective
(en-adj)Etymology 2
From (etyl) blowen, from (etyl) ).Verb
- "Blow', winds, and crack your cheeks! rage! ' blow !"
- Hark how it rains and blows !
- Blow the dust off that book and open it up.
- The leaves blow through the streets in the fall.
- to blow the fire
- to blow an egg
- to blow one's nose
- In the harbor, the ships' horns blew .
- There let the pealing organ blow .
- There's nothing more thrilling to the whale watcher than to see a whale surface and blow .
- There she blows ! (i.e. "I see a whale spouting!")
- Get away from that burning gas tank! It's about to blow !
- The demolition squad neatly blew the old hotel up.
- The aerosol can was blown to bits.
- He blew the tires and the engine.
- He tried to sprint, but his ligaments blew and he was barely able to walk to the finish line.
- This blows !
- I managed to blow $1000 at blackjack in under an hour.
- I blew $35 thou on a car.
- We blew an opportunity to get benign corporate sponsorship.
- Who did you have to blow to get those backstage passes?
- Let's blow this joint.
- Shall they hoist me up,
And show me to the shouting varletry
Of censuring Rome? Rather a ditch in Egypt
Be gentle grave unto me, rather on Nilus' mud
Lay me stark naked, and let the water-flies
Blow me into abhorring!
- (FERDINAND)
- I am, in my condition,
- A prince, Miranda; I do think, a king;—
- I would not so!—and would no more endure
- This wooden slavery than to suffer
- The flesh-fly blow my mouth.
- Through the court his courtesy was blown .
- His language does his knowledge blow .
- Look how imagination blows him.
- Here is Mistress Page at the door, sweating and blowing .
- to blow a horse
- (Sir Walter Scott)
- You blow behind my back, but dare not say anything to my face.
Derived terms
* blow a gasket * blow a kiss * blow apart * blow away * blower * blowhard * blow hot and cold * blowhorn * blow it * blowjob * blow me * blow off * blow off steam * blow one's horn * blow one's nose * blow one's top * blow one's trumpet * blow out * blowout * blow over * blow someone out of the water * blow someone's brains out * blow someone's mind * blow someone's socks off * blow the whistle * blow up * blow upon * blowup * blow up in one's face * glassblower * mind-blowing * there she blowsNoun
(en noun)- We're having a bit of a blow this afternoon.
- The players were able to get a blow during the last timeout.
Etymology 3
(etyl) blowe, blaw, northern variant of , Middle Dutch blouwen). Related to block.Noun
(en noun)- A fabricator is used to direct a sharp blow to the surface of the stone.
- During an exchange to end round 13, Duran landed a blow to the midsection.
- A vigorous blow might win [Hanno's camp].
- A further blow to the group came in 1917 when Thomson died while canoeing in Algonquin Park.
- a most poor man, made tame to fortune's blows
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Synonyms
* (The act of striking) bace, strike, hit, punch * (A damaging occurrence) disaster, calamityDerived terms
* blow-by-blow * body blow * come to blows * low blowEtymology 4
(etyl) blowen, from (etyl) 'to bloom').Verb
- You seem to me as in her orb,
- As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown ;
- How blows the citron grove.
- Boys are at best but pretty buds unblown ,
- Whose scent and hues are rather guessed than known;