1
: wave
especially
: a great wave or surge of water
the rolling billows of the sea
2
: a rolling mass (as of flame or smoke) that resembles a high wave
Billows of smoke poured out of the building.
billows of fog
billowed; billowing; billows
1
: to rise or roll in waves or surges
the billowing sea
2
: to bulge or swell out (as through action of the wind)
billowing clouds
… the flags … billowed out in pride …—
G. B. Oxnam
G. B. Oxnam
: to cause to billow
a field of burning grass billowing thick black clouds of smoke into the sky—Donald Windham
Donald WindhamSynonyms
Examples of billow in a Sentence
Noun
Billows of smoke poured out of the burning building.
the rolling billows of the sea
Verb
the curtains in the open windows billowed in the summer wind
Recent Examples on the Web
Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 15 Oct. 2024
Just like the updrafts, this feeds the fire with fresh, oxygenated air; unlike updrafts, downbursts cause gusts that billow out away from the center of the fire, leading it to spread rapidly in multiple directions at once.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2024
Dressed in their costumes—which often include pointy hats and billowing robes—the paddling witches and warlocks become striking silhouettes on the horizon.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for billow 
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Noun
Smoke billows during Israeli shelling on the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Kila.
—Andrea Mitchell, NBC News, 15 Oct. 2024
Just like the updrafts, this feeds the fire with fresh, oxygenated air; unlike updrafts, downbursts cause gusts that billow out away from the center of the fire, leading it to spread rapidly in multiple directions at once.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024
Verb
For her latest look, Lawrence wore a tomato red V-neck sweater draped over a white t-shirt (both La Ligne), pairing the combo with a black stone and leather necklace, billowing palazzo pants and what appears to be her go-to slipper flats from The Row.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 20 Oct. 2024
Dressed in their costumes—which often include pointy hats and billowing robes—the paddling witches and warlocks become striking silhouettes on the horizon.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for billow
Dictionary Entries Near billow
Cite this Entry
“Billow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/billow. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
billow
1 of 2 noun
bil·low
ˈbil-ō 
1
: wave entry 2 sense 1
especially
: a large wave
2
: a rolling mass like a high wave
billows of smoke
billow
2 of 2 verb1
: to rise or roll in waves
the billowing ocean
2
: to bulge or swell out
sails billowing in the breeze
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