blotter
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**blot·ter** /'blɒtəʳ||'blɑː-/ *n* **1** a large piece of blotting paper against which writing paper can be pressed to dry the ink **2** *AmE* a book where records are written every day, before the information is stored elsewhere (often in the phrase **police blotter**)
**'blotting ,paper** *n* [U] special thick soft paper used to dry wet ink on paper after writing
**blot·to** /'blɒtəʊ||'blɑːtəʊ/ *adj* [F] *BrE slang* extremely drunk
**blouse** /blaʊz||blaʊs/ *n pl.* **blouses** /'blaʊzɪz||'blaʊsɪz/ a garment for women, similar to a shirt, reaching from the neck to the waist or below: *She was wearing a black skirt and a white blouse.*
**blou·son** /'bluːzɒn||'blaʊzən, 'bluːzɑːn/ *n, adj* a blouson JACKET or dress is pulled in fairly tight around the waist with ELASTIC, and has a lot of loose cloth above the waist
**blow¹** /bləʊ/ *v* **blew** /bluː/, **blown** /bləʊn/ **1** [I] to send out a strong current of air: *The wind is blowing hard tonight.* | *She blew on her coffee to cool it down.* **2** [I+adv/prep;T+obj+adv/prep] to move by the force of a current of air: *The wind blew my hat off.* | *flags blowing in the wind* | *I shut the window to stop my papers blowing about.* | *I blew the dust off the book.* | *A sudden draught blew the door shut.* | *The force of the explosion blew the car into the air.* | *Several trees were blown down in the storm.* **3** [I;T] to (cause to) sound by blowing: *to blow a trumpet* | *The horn blew loudly.* **4** [T] to make or give shape to (glass) by blowing: *to blow glass* | *He blew a beautiful glass animal.* **5** [I;T] **a)** (of an electrical FUSE) to suddenly stop working because a part has melted: *The iron's not working - the fuse must have blown.* **b)** to cause (a fuse) to do this **6** [T] *slang* to lose (a favourable chance) as the result of foolishness; BUNGLE: *We've blown our chances of getting the contract.* | *I've blown it!* **7** [T(on)] *slang* to spend (money) freely or wastefully: *They blew about £5000 on a holiday.* **8** [I] *slang* to leave suddenly and quickly: *Let's blow before they catch us!* **9** [T] *BrE euph slang for* DAMN: *Blow it! I've missed my train.* | *Well, I'll be blowed! He's won again!* | *Well, blow me (down)!* **10 blow hot and cold (about)** *infml* to be changeable in your opinions, especially by seeming sometimes interested and at other times not interested in a plan **11 blow one's lines** to make a mistake when speaking in a play **12 blow one's nose** to clean the nose by forcing a sudden current of air through it into a handkerchief **13 blow one's own trumpet/horn** *infml, usually derog* to praise yourself: *She's very good at blowing her own trumpet.* **14 blow one's top/stack** *slang* to explode with anger, lose your temper **15 blow someone a kiss** to kiss your hand and then wave or blow it towards the person you would like to receive the kiss **16 blow someone's brains out** *infml* to kill someone by a shot through the head **17 blow someone's mind** *slang* to fill someone with wonder; AMAZE → see also MIND-BLOWING **18 blow something sky-high** to destroy something completely with an explosion: *(fig.) The new evidence blew the suspect's alibi sky-high.* **19 blow the gaff** *BrE old-fash* to let something secret become known **20 blow the whistle on** *slang* to cause something undesirable to stop, especially by bringing it to the attention of the public: *It's about time someone blew the whistle on his dishonest practices.* **21 blow town** *AmE slang* to leave a town suddenly **22 There she blows!** (supposed to be said on a WHALE-hunting ship by the first person who sees a WHALE)
**blow sbdy. away** *phr v* [T] *AmE slang* to kill by shooting with a gun
**blow in** *phr v* [I] **1** *infml* to arrive, often unexpectedly: *Jim has just blown in; we weren't expecting him until Tuesday.* **2** *tech* (of an oil well) to start producing
**blow off** *phr v* [T(blow sthg./sbdy. off)] *AmE slang* to treat something or someone as unimportant; to not pay attention to: *He blew off his tests without a thought for the future.* | *Mom wanted me to stay in and study but I blew her off.*
**blow out** *phr v* **1** [I;T(= blow sthg. ⇔ out)] to (cause to) stop burning by blowing: *I blew the candle out.* **2** [I] (especially of a TYRE) to burst: *The tyre blew out as I was driving to work.* → see also BLOWOUT
**blow over** *phr v* [I] **1** (of bad weather) to stop blowing; come to an end: *The storm has blown over.* **2** to be forgotten or no longer seem important: *It caused quite a scandal at the time, but the whole thing blew over in a few weeks.*
**blow up** *phr v* **1** [I;T(= blow sthg. ⇔ up)] to (cause to) explode or be destroyed by exploding: *to blow up a bridge* | *The plane blew up in midair.* | *(fig.) Her father blew up (=was very angry) when she came home at 3 o'clock in the morning.* **2** [I;T(= blow sthg. ⇔ up)] to (cause to) become firm by filling with air: *We've got a rubber boat that blows up.* | *Be sure to blow up the tyres before you set off.* **3** [T(blow sthg. ⇔ up)] to make (a photograph) larger **4** [T(blow sthg. ⇔ up)] to cause (something) to appear more serious or important than it really is; EXAGGERATE: *It was just a minor disagreement but it was blown up out of all proportion by the media.* **5** [I] (of bad weather) to begin to develop or arrive: *There's a storm blowing up.* | *(fig.) Our old argument has blown up again.* → see also BLOW-UP
**blow²** *n* **1** [C] an act or example of blowing: *Give your nose a good blow.* **2** [S] *infml* a strong wind or windy storm
**blow³** *n* **1** a hard stroke with the open or closed hand or with a weapon: *a blow on the head* | *The children came to blows with each other (=started fighting)* | *(fig.) They struck a blow for freedom by assassinating the colonial governor.* **2** [(to)] (an action or event that has) a bad effect on your confidence, hopes, likelihood of SUCCESS etc: *Being beaten by a younger man came as/was a big blow to his pride.* | *The sudden rise in oil prices has dealt a (serious) blow to the company's chances of recovery.* **3** a shock or misfortune: *It was a great blow to her when her mother died.* → see also BODY BLOW, DEATHBLOW
**'blow-by-blow** *adj* [A] with full details; describing all the events in the order in which they happened: *I want a blow-by-blow account of the match/the meeting.*
**'blow-dry** *v* [T] to dry and usually give a shape to (hair) with an electric dryer held in the hand **-blow-dry** *n; a cut and blow-dry* **-blow-dryer** *n*
**blow·er** /'bləʊəʳ/ *n* **1** [C] a machine that blows: *to use a snow blower to clear snow from the roads* **2** [the] *BrE slang* the telephone: *Get on the blower to him at once!* → see also GLASSBLOWER
**blow·fly** /'bləʊflaɪ/ *n* a fly that lays its eggs especially on meat or in wounds
**blow·hard** /'bləʊhɑːd||-hɑːrd/ *n AmE infml* someone who has too high an opinion of himself/herself; BRAGGART
**blow·hole** /'bləʊhəʊl/ *n* **1** a hole in the surface of ice to which water animals (such as SEALS) come to breathe **2** a NOSTRIL in the top of the head of a WHALE
**'blow job** *n taboo slang for* FELLATIO
**'blow·lamp** /'bləʊlæmp/ *especially BrE* || **blowtorch** *especially AmE - n* a lamp or gas-pipe from which a mixture of gas and air is blown out under pressure so as to give a small very hot flame, used especially for burning off paint
**blown** /bləʊn/ *past participle of* BLOW
**blow·out** /'bləʊaʊt/ *n* **1** a sudden bursting of a TYRE: *We had a blowout and crashed the car.* **2** *slang* a very big meal → see also BLOW OUT
**blow·pipe** /'bləʊpaɪp/ *also* **blow·gun** /-ɡʌn/ *n* a tube for blowing small stones, poisoned ARROWS or DARTS used as a weapon
**blow·torch** /'bləʊtɔːtʃ||-tɔːrtʃ/ *n especially AmE* a BLOWLAMP
**'blow-up** *n* **1** [(of)] a photographic ENLARGEMENT: *Look at this blow-up of the child's face.* **2** a sudden moment of anger → see also BLOW UP
**blow·y** /'bləʊi/ *adj infml* windy: *a blowy day*
**blow·zy, blowsy** /'blaʊzi/ *adj* (of a woman) fat, dirty, red-faced, and untidily dressed
**BLT** /,biː el 'tiː/ *n* a SANDWICH made of BACON, LETTUCE, and TOMATO
**blub·ber¹** /'blʌbəʳ/ *n* [U] the fat of sea animals, especially WHALES, from which oil is obtained
**blub·ber²** *v old-fash, usually derog* **1** [I] to WEEP (=cry tears) noisily: *I wish you'd stop blubbering! I can't hear what you're saying.* **2** [T(out)] to say while crying in this way: *He blubbered out a pathetic apology.*
**bludge** /blʌdʒ/ *v* [I;T] *AustrE, NZE slang* to get something without working or paying for it; SCROUNGE **-bludger** *n*
**blud·geon¹** /'blʌdʒən/ *n* a heavy-headed stick used as a weapon