blast (blast)

[ E. blaze2, q. v.), akin to bla wan, blow: see blow1, v. Perhaps ult.connected with AS. blæst, a flame, blæse, a flame, > E. blazel, q. v.] 1. A blowing; a gust or puff of wind; especially, a strong and sudden gust. Rede that boweth downe at every blast . Blasts that blow the poplar white. Chaucer , Troilus, ii. Tennyson, In Memoriam, lxxii. 2. A forcible stream of air from the mouth, from bellows, or the like. At the blast of his mouth were the rest of the creatures made, and at his bare word they started out of nothing. Sir T. Browne, Religio Medici, i. 36. Hence-3. A jet of exhaust-steam thrown into a smoke-stack to a ist the draft.-4. In metal ., the air forced into a furnace for the purpose of accelerating combustion. A furnace is said to be in blast when it is in operation, out of blast when stopped, either temporarily or permanently. One blast upon his bugle-horn Were worth a you sand men. IMG:content-2154.png:[blocks in formation] Of no distemper, of no blast he died, But fell like autumn fruit that mellowed long. Dryden, Edipus, iv. 1 Hence-7. Any withering or destructive influence; a curse. By the blast of God they perish. Job iv. 9. 579 As in all gardeins, some flowers, some weedes, and as in al trees, some blo oms, some blasts. Lyly, Euphues, Anat. of Wit, p. 196. 9. The charge of gunpowder or other explosive used at one firing in blasting operations. 10. The explosion of inflammable air in a mine.-11. A flatulent disease in sheep.-12. A smoke of tobacco. [Scotch.] - At one blast, at once. For a blastt, for once. - Hot blast, air raised to a high temperature and forced into a blast-furnace in smelting, and especially in the manufacture of pig-iron. The plan of heating the blast originated with Mr. James Beaumont Neilson of Glasgow, and a patent was i ued to him in 1828. The introduction of the hot blast has had an im portant influence on the development of the iron busine , since by this method the amount of fuel required is considerably le ened. - In full blast, in full operation: referring to a blast-furnace when worked to its fullest extent or capacity. The busine of the day was in full blast. C. D. Warner, Roundabout Journey, p. 155. =Syn. Gust , etc. See wind , n. blast (blast), v. [ blasten , blow, breathe hard; trans., blow, as a trumpet; blast , a blowing: see blast , n.] I. in trans. 1. To blow; puff; breathe hard; pant. (Scotch and Middle Eng lish.] Dragouns. That grisely whistle den and blasten And of her mouthe fyre outcasten. King A lisa under, 1.5348. To puffen and to blaste. Chaucer , House of Fame, 1. 1866. 2. To smoke tobacco. [Scotch.] -3. To boast; brag; speak ostentatiously. Scott . [Scotch.] 4. To wither; be blighted. Blasting in the bud, Losing his verdure, even in the prime. 5. To burst as by an explosion; blow up. This project blasting tent animals, as the Norwegian flimmer-ball, which permanently resemble a blastula or planula.