bellows

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments  · 
“
Ho! dear me, my bellows are about exploded We've no chance in a race with these hairy men," responded Jack, as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.--"Why did you miss, Mak Cause me no could hit, s'pose, massa Very justly and modestly said," remarked Peterkin, with an approving nod.

View all »
Definitions (12)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. plural noun An apparatus for producing a strong current of air, as for sounding a pipe organ or increasing the draft to a fire, consisting of a flexible, valved air chamber that is contracted and expanded by pumping to force the air through a nozzle.
  2. plural noun Something, such as the pleated windbag of an accordion, that resembles this apparatus.
  3. plural noun The lungs.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (7)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (1)

Toggle elsewhere links Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

  • They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools. —  The Lord of the Rings
  • He placed in my hand that sword and took measurements of my hand, and then went back to the fire where the bellows were moving; He never said a word to me. —  inJesus :: Online Community :: Last posted message
  • In order to make the bear 'growl', small bellows were attached to tubes of cardboard with a reed were inserted. —  MyLinkVault Newest Links
  • Back in the days when the band released throaty bellows, they all sounded basically the same. —  Daily Vanguard RSS
  • Thou hast Mahommed Seti"--his chest blew out like a bellows--"and thou hast Donovan Pasha Fielding grunted. —  Donovan Pasha, and Some People of Egypt — Complete
More examples »
 

Tags

bellows hasn't been tagged yet.

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

Stats

This word has been looked up 80 times.

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

flickr images

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English belowes, from Old English belgas, pl. of belg; see bhelgh- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Also, colloquially, bellowses, a double plural; from Middle English belowes, belwes, also belies, a bellows, properly plural of belowe, belu, also bely, beli, a bellows, a bag, the belly (same word as belly), from Anglo-Saxon bælg, bælig, belg, belig, a bag, a bollows (earlier specifically blæstbelig = Icelandic blāstrbelgr; cf. Dutch blaasbalg = Danish blæsebælg = Swedish blåsbalg = Old High German blasbalg, German blasebalg, literally blast-bag: see blast): see belly, of which bellows is a differentiated plural.
 

Pronunciations
Record your own »
/ˈbɛloʊz/
by American Heritage

Charts
frequency chart

Bubble size: how much this word was used in a year

Bubble height: used more or less than expected, vs. all uses evenly distributed

You can expect to see this word about twice a month.

Recently looked up

wildcat · skintight · Inn · skinnier · talkativeness

Recent Favorites

pygopagus · sanglant · Astacus · sweetbread · qualms

Recent Pronunciations

qualms · poofter · oh for heaven's sake · embodies · silence