billow

Meaning

Noun

A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound

Verb

1. To surge or roll in billows.
2. To swell out or bulge.

Synonyms

wave

👋

surge

swell

roller

ripple

inflate

belly

rise

breaker

bloat

balloon

🎈

distend

large wave

heave

go up

wallow

lift

protrude

climb

ascend

bubble

undulate

bulge

uprise

soar

flutter

hang

heighten

hover

increase

jaw

mount

pad

pop

protuberate

prove

puff

puff out

rash

reach

ride

rise up

rock

🪨

rocket

🚀

roll

seiche

spike

stand up

stem

straighten

surf

sway

swing

swirl

take off

tidal wave

run high

tower

traipse

transgress

transude

tsunami

undulation

uplift

wad

wade

waft

floodhead

footslog

moving ridge

pop out

rolling wave

be choppy

be in discord

accede

rogue wave

advance

amount

arise

belly out

blow up

board

break

bull

bunch

clot

cloud

☁️

clump

cluster

come up

curl

curve

dominate

enter

expand

fill out

float

fluctuate

gain

get on

get up

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbɪləʊ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *bilowe

Cognate with Danish: bølge

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål: bølge

Cognate with Norwegian Nynorsk: bylgje

Cognate with Middle High German: bulga

Cognate with Low German: bulge

In summary

From Middle English *bilowe, *bilewe, *bilwe, *bilȝe, borrowed from Old Norse bylgja, from Proto-Germanic *bulgijō. Cognates include Danish bølge, Norwegian Bokmål bølge, Norwegian Nynorsk bylgje, Middle High German bulga and Low German bulge.