bloat

== English == === Etymology === Perhaps from Middle English blot, blout (“soft; flexible; pliable”), from Old Norse blautr (“soft”). Akin to Danish blød, Dutch bloot (“nude”) and German bloß (“nude”). === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /bləʊt/ (General American) IPA(key): /bloʊt/ Rhymes: -əʊt === Verb === bloat (third-person singular simple present bloats, present participle bloating, simple past and past participle bloated) To cause to become distended. (intransitive, veterinary medicine) To get an overdistended rumen, talking of a ruminant. To fill soft substance with gas, water, etc.; to cause to swell. (intransitive) To become distended; to swell up. To fill with vanity or conceit. 1675, John Dryden, Prologue to Circe by Dr. Davenant Encourage him, and bloat him up with Praise (dated) To preserve by slightly salting and lightly smoking. To increase to an excessive amount. ==== Translations ==== === Noun === bloat (countable and uncountable, plural bloats) Distention of the abdomen from death. (veterinary medicine) Pathological overdistention of rumen with gas in a ruminant. Synonym: ruminal tympany (figurative) Wasteful use of space or other resources. (derogatory, slang, dated) A worthless, dissipated fellow. (collective) A group of hippopotamuses. ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === bloat (comparative more bloat, superlative most bloat) (obsolete) bloated. === Derived terms === === See also === overfeatured === References === === Anagrams === Balto-, Blato, balot