blast
pronunciation
How to pronounce blast in British English:
UK [blɑːst]
How to pronounce blast in American English:
US [blæst]
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- Noun:
- a long and hard-hit fly ball
- a sudden very loud noise
- a strong current of air
- an explosion (as of dynamite)
- a highly pleasurable or exciting experience
- intense adverse criticism
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- Verb:
- make a strident sound
- hit hard
- use explosives on
Word Origin
- blast (n.)
- Old English blæst "blowing, breeze, puff of wind," from Proto-Germanic *bles- (cognates: Old Norse blastr, Old High German blast "a blowing, blast," German blasen, Gothic blesan "to blow"), from PIE *bhle- "to blow," probably a variant of root *bhel- (2) "to blow, inflate, swell" (see bole). Meaning "explosion" is from 1630s; that of "noisy party, good time" is from 1953, American English slang. Sense of "strong current of air for iron-smelting" (1690s) led to blast furnace and transferred sense in full blast "the extreme" (1839). Blast was the usual word for "a smoke of tobacco" c. 1600.
- blast (v.)
- Old English blæstan "to blow, belch forth," from the root of blast (n.). Since 16c., often "to breathe on balefully." Meaning "to blow up by explosion" is from 1758. Related: Blasted; blasting. Blast off (n.) is attested from 1950.
Example
- 1. That blast injured 59 workers , with 23 hospitalized .
- 2. One soldier from 4th battalion the rifles was killed in a blast while on foot patrol near nad-e-ali .
- 3. Soldiers are also using short-range missiles and dynamite to blast apart boulders blocking the first channel , to speed up the flow of water .
- 4. The blast blew him out of the van .
- 5. The second blast targeted the headquarters of a police force .