To blow great guns

Blow Blow, v. t. 1. To force a current of air upon with the mouth, or by other means; as, to blow the fire. [1913 Webster]

2. To drive by a current air; to impel; as, the tempest blew the ship ashore. [1913 Webster]

Off at sea northeast winds blow Sabean odors from the spicy shore. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

3. To cause air to pass through by the action of the mouth, or otherwise; to cause to sound, as a wind instrument; as, to blow a trumpet; to blow an organ; to blow a horn. [1913 Webster]

Hath she no husband That will take pains to blow a horn before her? --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Boy, blow the pipe until the bubble rise, Then cast it off to float upon the skies. --Parnell. [1913 Webster]

4. To clear of contents by forcing air through; as, to blow an egg; to blow one's nose. [1913 Webster]

5. To burst, shatter, or destroy by an explosion; -- usually with up, down, open, or similar adverb; as, to blow up a building. [1913 Webster]

6. To spread by report; to publish; to disclose; to reveal, intentionally or inadvertently; as, to blow an agent's cover. [1913 Webster]

Through the court his courtesy was blown. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

His language does his knowledge blow. --Whiting. [1913 Webster]

7. To form by inflation; to swell by injecting air; as, to blow bubbles; to blow glass. [1913 Webster]

8. To inflate, as with pride; to puff up. [1913 Webster]

Look how imagination blows him. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

9. To put out of breath; to cause to blow from fatigue; as, to blow a horse. --Sir W. Scott. [1913 Webster]

10. To deposit eggs or larv[ae] upon, or in (meat, etc.). [1913 Webster]

To suffer The flesh fly blow my mouth. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

11. To perform an act of fellatio on; to stimulate another's penis with one's mouth; -- usually considered vulgar. [slang] [PJC]

12. to smoke (e. g. marijuana); to blow pot. [colloq.] [PJC]

13. to botch; to bungle; as, he blew his chance at a good job by showing up late for the interview. [colloq.] [PJC]

14. to leave; to depart from; as, to blow town. [slang] [PJC]

15. to squander; as, he blew his inheritance gambling. [colloq.] [PJC]

{To blow great guns}, to blow furiously and with roaring blasts; -- said of the wind at sea or along the coast.

{To blow off}, to empty (a boiler) of water through the blow-off pipe, while under steam pressure; also, to eject (steam, water, sediment, etc.) from a boiler.

{To blow one's own trumpet}, to vaunt one's own exploits, or sound one's own praises.

{To blow out}, to extinguish by a current of air, as a candle.

{To blow up}. (a) To fill with air; to swell; as, to blow up a bladder or bubble. (b) To inflate, as with pride, self-conceit, etc.; to puff up; as, to blow one up with flattery. ``Blown up with high conceits engendering pride.'' --Milton. (c) To excite; as, to blow up a contention. (d) To burst, to raise into the air, or to scatter, by an explosion; as, to blow up a fort. (e) To scold violently; as, to blow up a person for some offense. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

I have blown him up well -- nobody can say I wink at what he does. --G. Eliot. [1913 Webster]

{To blow upon}. (a) To blast; to taint; to bring into discredit; to render stale, unsavory, or worthless. (b) To inform against. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster]

How far the very custom of hearing anything spouted withers and blows upon a fine passage, may be seen in those speeches from [Shakespeare's] Henry V. which are current in the mouths of schoolboys. --C. Lamb. [1913 Webster]

A lady's maid whose character had been blown upon. --Macaulay. [1913 Webster]