Forms: 4 belwe, bellewe, 4–5 below, 6 bellue, 6– bellow. [Of uncertain etymology. The equation of ME. belwen with the rare OE. bylʓian suggests that the latter is late WSax. for *bięlʓian, Anglian *bęlʓian; but the origin of this is not evident, unless it be a parallel formation to the synonymous bellan, BELL v.4, say from OTeut. *balligôjan: cf. OE. a-dílʓian, OS. dîligôn, OTeut. *dîligôjan, parallel to *dîlôjan, in OHG. tîligôn and tîlôn to destroy.]

1

  1.  prop. To roar as a bull, or as a cow when excited. (Ordinarily, a cow lows.)

2

c. 1000.  Martyrol., 17 Jan. (Cockayne Shrine 52). Hwilum þa deofol hine swungon … hwilum hi hine bylʓedon on swa fearras and ðuton eall swa wulfas.

3

c. 1305.  Leg. Rood, 145. Beestes gan belwe in eueri binne.

4

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XI. 333. Þere ne was cow … Þat wolde belwe after boles.

5

1388.  Wyclif, Jer. l. 11. And lowiden ether bellewiden, as bolis.

6

1580.  North, Plutarch, 358 (R.). Like wild beasts bellowing and roaring.

7

1611.  Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 28. Iupiter Became a Bull, and bellow’d.

8

1784.  Burns, Lett., x. Wks. (Globe), 302. A Cow bellowing at the crib without food.

9

1868.  Once a Week, No. 5, 1 Feb., 99/2. The first bull advances step by step, bellowing fiercely.

10

  b.  trans.

11

1868.  Once a Week, No. 5, 1 Feb., 99/2. A young bull bellows a challenge.

12

  2.  Applied to the roaring of other animals; used formerly in sense of BELL v.4 2.

13

1486.  Bk. St. Albans, E v. An hert belowys.

14

1575.  Turberv., Venerie, 238. An harte belloweth.

15

1596.  Shaks., Merch. V., V. i. 73. Youthful and vnhandled Colts … bellowing and neighing loud. Ibid. (1602), Ham., III. ii. 264. The croaking Rauen doth bellow for Reuenge.

16

1738–51.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Hunting. The terms for their noise at rutting time…. A hart belleth; a buck growns or troats; a roe bellows.

17

1766.  Vacation, in Dodsley, Coll. Poems, III. 153. The master stag … Bellows loud with savage roar.

18

1875.  B. Taylor, Faust, iii. I. 51. Poodle … Cease to bark and bellow.

19

  3.  Of human beings: To cry in a loud and deep voice; to shout, vociferate, roar (depreciative or humorous); also (seriously) to roar from pain.

20

1602.  Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 36. There bee Players … that … haue so strutted and bellowed.

21

1649.  Milton, Eikon., Wks. (1738), I. 43. Not fit for that liberty which they cried out and bellowed for.

22

1709.  Steele, Tatler, No. 54, ¶ 3. He is accustom’d to roar and bellow so terribly loud in the Responses.

23

1718.  Pope, Iliad, V. 1053. Mars bellows with the pain.

24

1824.  W. Irving, T. Trav., II. 234. Like a bully bellowing for more drink.

25

  b.  trans. To utter (words or cries) in a loud and deep voice; frequently with out, forth.

26

1581.  Nowell & Day, in Confer., I. (1584), D iiij b. Beelzebub bellowed out most horrible blasphemies.

27

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turkes (1621), 663. Bellowing out certaine superstitious charms.

28

1771.  Smollett, Humph. Cl. (1815), 143. Noisy rustics bellowing, ‘Green pease’ under my window.

29

1881.  Miss Yonge, Lads & L. Langley, i. 41. Some used to bellow or screech out any familiar hymn in an irreverent way.

30

  c.  To bellow off: to drive off by shouting, to shout down.

31

1837.  Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. III. III. ix. 249. Fain would Reporter Rabaut speak his … last-words; but he is bellowed off.

32

  4.  Of thunder, cannon, wind, the sea, and other inanimate agents: To make a loud hollow noise; to roar.

33

1384.  Chaucer, House F. (Fairf.), 1803. A soun As lowde as beloweth [v.r. belwith, bellyth, belleth] wynde in helle.

34

1596.  Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 7. A dreadfull sownd, Which through the wood loud bellowing did rebownd.

35

1653.  Holcroft, Procopius, 36. Mount Vesuvius bellowed.

36

1727.  Thomson, Summer, 1168. Thule bellows through her utmost isles.

37

c. 1800.  Wordsw., Sonn. Liberty, xii. And Ocean [should] bellow from his rocky shore.

38

1849.  B. Taylor, Soldier & Pard, 27.

        Ha! what a rout! our cannon bellowed round
The Pyramids.

39

  b.  With obj.: To give forth, emit, utter or proclaim with loud noise.

40

1706.  Watts, Horæ Lyr., II. I. 236. Till the hollow brazen clouds Had bellow’d … Loud thunder.

41

1852.  Tennyson, Wellington, 66. His captain’s-ear has heard them boom, Bellowing victory, bellowing doom.

42

1858.  Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls., I. 141. A large cannon-ball … rolling down … bellowing forth long thunderous echoes.

43