billow

== English == === Etymology === 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. === Pronunciation === (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈbɪl.oʊ/ (California, Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈbɪl.əʊ/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈbɪl.əʉ/ (South Asia) IPA(key): /ˈbɪl.loː(w)/, /bɪˈloː(w)/ (without gemination) Homophone: below Rhymes: -ɪləʊ === Noun === billow (plural billows) A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound. 1893 August, Rudyard Kipling, "Seal Lullaby", in "The White Seal", National Review. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === billow (third-person singular simple present billows, present participle billowing, simple past and past participle billowed) To surge or roll in billows. To swell out or bulge. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === References ===