bellows
English · Thesaurus
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bellows¹
- /ˈbɛl.oʊz/ US
- /ˈbɛl.əʊz/ UK
- /ˈbɛl.əs/ dialectal
Rhymes with -ɛləʊz
Where it comes from
From Middle English belwes, plural of belu, belwe, a northern form of beli, from Old English bæliġ, northern form of bielġ, from Proto-Germanic *balgiz. Compare German Balg. See also belly.
For the pronunciation /ˈbɛl.əs/, compare bodice, gallows.
noun bellows
- A device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. At its most simple terms a bellows is a container which is deformable in such a way as to alter its volume which has an outlet or outlets where one wishes to blow air. When wood fires were common, so were bellows for helping start them.
- Any flexible container or enclosure, as one used to cover a moving joint. The three motors on each bogie are force ventilated from a blower mounted in the adjacent nose-end compartment of the superstructure, the air being led by ducts and flexible bellows connections to the air inlet at the commutator end of the motor.
- The lungs. “Why, who should J. B. mean by Joe, but old Joe Bagstock—Joseph—your slave—Joe, Ma’am? Here! Here’s the man! Here are the Bagstock bellows, Ma’am!” cried the Major, striking himself a sounding blow on the chest.
- Flexible, light-tight enclosures connecting the lensboard and the camera back.
- That which fans the fire of hatred, jealousy, etc.
verb bellowses · bellowsing · bellowsed
- To operate a bellows; to direct air at (something) using a bellows. […] I was recommended to the place as a man who could give another man as good as he brought, and I took it. It’s easier than bellowsing and hammering.
- To expand and contract like a bellows. […] [the dogs] sprang up, and, with a grand spraying of the crisp snow as they fleetly clambered up the steep side, they were with us in an incredibly short time, with pink tongues protruding, sides bellowsing, and sterns wagging.
- To fold up like a bellows; to accordion. Without being tight […] the boot leg should fit close. The ankle should be supple as a stocking, and “bellowsed” to make sure of suppleness.
bellows²
- /ˈbɛl.oʊz/ US
- /ˈbɛl.əʊz/ UK
- /ˈbɛl.əs/ dialectal
Rhymes with -ɛləʊz
Where it comes from
See bellow
noun
- plural of bellow
verb
- third-person singular simple present indicative of bellow
Bellows³
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: blower, behind, rants, roars, holler, roar, shout, yell, howl, bawl, shriek, cry, scream, caterwaul, bark, growl
Translations
Every language
noun air blower
| Español | fuelle |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 풀무 pulmu |
| 日本語 | 鞴 fuigo |
| 中文 | 風箱 /风箱 fēngxiāng |
| हिन्दी | धौंकनी dha͠uknī |
| Kiswahili | mvukuto, mifua |
| Português | fole |
| Français | soufflet |
| Deutsch | Blasebalg |
| Italiano | soffietto, mantice |
| Ελληνικά | φυσητήρας fysitíras, φυσερό fyseró, φυσούνα fysoúna |
| Română | foale |
| Русский | меха́ mexá, мехи́ mexí |
| Tiếng Việt | bễ |
| العربية | مِنْفَاخ minfāḵ |
noun informal: lungs — see also lung
| Português | bofes |
|---|
Talk about this word "bellows." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bellows. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. bellows. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bellows "bellows." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bellows.Cite this
@misc{bellows_2026,
title = {bellows},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bellows},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
