1 bellow | Definition of bellow

bellow

verb
bel·​low | \ ˈbe-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce bellow (audio) \
bellowed; bellowing; bellows

Definition of bellow

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to make the loud deep hollow sound characteristic of a bull
2 : to shout in a deep voice

transitive verb

: bawl bellows the orders

Bellow

biographical name
Bel·​low | \ ˈbe-(ˌ)lō How to pronounce Bellow (audio) \

Definition of Bellow (Entry 2 of 2)

Saul 1915–2005 American (Canadian-born) writer

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Other Words from bellow

Verb

bellow noun

Synonyms for bellow

Synonyms: Verb

boom, growl, roar, thunder

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Examples of bellow in a Sentence

Verb

He bellowed at her to come over at once. He was bellowing into the phone, giving orders to one of his employees. The sergeant was bellowing orders.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Footage circulated online shows what appears to be burnt U.N.-owned vehicles as thick smoke bellows into the sky. Washington Post, "UN: Car bomb kills 3 UN staff outside mall in Libya," 10 Aug. 2019 The whisper on the school’s microphone was drowned out by the entire crowd joining in and bellowing out the song. Rusty Simmons, SFChronicle.com, "‘Paradise football, like always’: Healing for a town, its team and its heroes," 24 Aug. 2019 The canopies were filled with screeching monkeys and the river with bellowing hippos. Max Bearak, Washington Post, "Kenya’s Pokomo people ask the British to return what was stolen: Their source of power," 9 Aug. 2019 Soon enough, the defending champion was bellowing and shaking his fist after putting away an overhead to go up a break in the third set. Howard Fendrich, Houston Chronicle, "Novak Djokovic gets by Roberto Bautista Agut to reach sixth Wimbledon final," 12 July 2019 But first Langford’s Waco Brothers, a veteran Chicago act, had a catalog of tunes to blister through, all jangly guitars and four-part vocal harmonies bellowed as if trying to be heard over the din of a pub. Steve Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "FitzGerald’s American Music Fest still going strong," 3 July 2019 The scene ends in an anarchic bacchanal for full ensemble, with bass tubas bellowing a portion of Lucifer’s theme. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, "Karlheinz Stockhausen Composes the Cosmos," 17 June 2019 The Islamic call to prayer—the adhan—bellows out five times a day. National Geographic, "Music in Morocco: The ultimate sonic journey," 23 July 2019 Dolphins click, whales moan, walruses bellow and seals bark. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Listen to a Seal Sing the Star Wars Theme and ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star’," 25 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bellow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bellow

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

History and Etymology for bellow

Verb

Middle English belwen, from Old English bylgian; akin to Old English & Old High German bellan to roar

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More Definitions for bellow

bellow

verb

English Language Learners Definition of bellow

: to shout in a deep voice
of an animal : to make a deep, loud sound

bellow

verb
bel·​low | \ ˈbe-lō How to pronounce bellow (audio) \
bellowed; bellowing

Kids Definition of bellow

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to shout in a deep voice He bellowed for them to stop.
2 : to make a deep and loud sound The bull dashed up and down the field, bellowing so hard that smoke came out of his nostrils.— Astrid Lindgren, Pippi Longstocking

bellow

noun

Kids Definition of bellow (Entry 2 of 2)

: a loud deep sound an angry bellow

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More from Merriam-Webster on bellow

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with bellow

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bellow

Spanish Central: Translation of bellow

Nglish: Translation of bellow for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bellow for Arabic Speakers