English Explanatory Dictionary

billow

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound.
verb
  1. To surge or roll in billows.
  2. To swell out or bulge.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɪloʊ/ /ˈbɪləʊ/ en-us-billow.ogg /ˈbɪləʉ/ en-au-billow.ogg /bɪl(ː)o/

Word forms

billow billows billowing billowed

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *belganą Proto-Germanic *bulgijō Old Norse bylgjabor. Middle English *bilwe English billow From Middle English *bilwe, borrowed from Old Norse bylgja, from Proto-Germanic *bulgijō. Cognates include Danish bølge (“wave”); Norwegian Bokmål bølge (“wave”), Norwegian Nynorsk bylgje (“wave”); Swedish bölja (“wave”); German Low German Bulge, Bulg, Bülg (“billow, wave”); German Bulge (“billow, wave”). Compare bellow, bawl.

Derived words

billow maiden billowous billowsome billowy billowingly embillow
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