From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
-blast \-blast\ [Gr. blasto`s sprout, shoot.]
A suffix or terminal formative, used principally in
biological terms, and signifying growth, formation; as,
bioblast, epiblast, mesoblast, etc.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Blast \Blast\ (bl[.a]st), n. [AS. bl[=ae]st a puff of wind, a
blowing; akin to Icel. bl[=a]str, OHG. bl[=a]st, and fr. a
verb akin to Icel. bl[=a]sa to blow, OHG. bl[^a]san, Goth.
bl[=e]san (in comp.); all prob. from the same root as E.
blow. See Blow to eject air.]
1. A violent gust of wind.
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And see where surly Winter passes off,
Far to the north, and calls his ruffian blasts;
His blasts obey, and quit the howling hill.
--Thomson.
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2. A forcible stream of air from an orifice, as from a
bellows, the mouth, etc. Hence: The continuous blowing to
which one charge of ore or metal is subjected in a
furnace; as, to melt so many tons of iron at a blast.
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Note: The terms hot blast and cold blast are employed to
designate whether the current is heated or not heated
before entering the furnace. A blast furnace is said to
be in blast while it is in operation, and out of blast
when not in use.
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3. The exhaust steam from and engine, driving a column of air
out of a boiler chimney, and thus creating an intense
draught through the fire; also, any draught produced by
the blast.
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4. The sound made by blowing a wind instrument; strictly, the
sound produces at one breath.
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One blast upon his bugle horn
Were worth a thousand men. --Sir W.
Scott.
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The blast of triumph o'er thy grave. --Bryant.
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5. A sudden, pernicious effect, as if by a noxious wind,
especially on animals and plants; a blight.
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By the blast of God they perish. --Job iv. 9.
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Virtue preserved from fell destruction's blast.
--Shak.
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6. The act of rending, or attempting to rend, heavy masses of
rock, earth, etc., by the explosion of gunpowder,
dynamite, etc.; also, the charge used for this purpose.
"Large blasts are often used." --Tomlinson.
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7. A flatulent disease of sheep.
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Blast furnace, a furnace, usually a shaft furnace for
smelting ores, into which air is forced by pressure.
Blast hole, a hole in the bottom of a pump stock through
which water enters.
Blast nozzle, a fixed or variable orifice in the delivery
end of a blast pipe; -- called also blast orifice.
In full blast, in complete operation; in a state of great
activity. See Blast, n., 2. [Colloq.]
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Blast \Blast\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Blasted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Blasting.]
1. To injure, as by a noxious wind; to cause to wither; to
stop or check the growth of, and prevent from
fruit-bearing, by some pernicious influence; to blight; to
shrivel.
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Seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind.
--Gen. xii. 6.
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2. Hence, to affect with some sudden violence, plague,
calamity, or blighting influence, which destroys or causes
to fail; to visit with a curse; to curse; to ruin; as, to
blast pride, hopes, or character.
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I'll cross it, though it blast me. --Shak.
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Blasted with excess of light. --T. Gray.
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3. To confound by a loud blast or din.
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Trumpeters,
With brazen din blast you the city's ear. --Shak.
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4. To rend open by any explosive agent, as gunpowder,
dynamite, etc.; to shatter; as, to blast rocks.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Blast \Blast\, v. i.
1. To be blighted or withered; as, the bud blasted in the
blossom.
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2. To blow; to blow on a trumpet. [Obs.]
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Toke his blake trumpe faste
And gan to puffen and to blaste. --Chaucer.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
blast
n 1: a very long fly ball
2: a sudden very loud noise [syn: bang, clap, eruption,
blast, bam]
3: a strong current of air; "the tree was bent almost double by
the gust" [syn: gust, blast, blow]
4: an explosion (as of dynamite)
5: a highly pleasurable or exciting experience; "we had a good
time at the party"; "celebrating after the game was a blast"
[syn: good time, blast]
6: intense adverse criticism; "Clinton directed his fire at the
Republican Party"; "the government has come under attack";
"don't give me any flak" [syn: fire, attack, flak,
flack, blast]
v 1: make a strident sound; "She tended to blast when speaking
into a microphone" [syn: blast, blare]
2: hit hard; "He smashed a 3-run homer" [syn: smash, nail,
boom, blast]
3: use explosives on; "The enemy has been shelling us all day"
[syn: blast, shell]
4: apply a draft or strong wind to to; "the air conditioning was
blasting cold air at us"
5: create by using explosives; "blast a passage through the
mountain" [syn: blast, shell]
6: make with or as if with an explosion; "blast a tunnel through
the Alps"
7: fire a shot; "the gunman blasted away" [syn: blast,
shoot]
8: criticize harshly or violently; "The press savaged the new
President"; "The critics crucified the author for
plagiarizing a famous passage" [syn: savage, blast,
pillory, crucify]
9: shatter as if by explosion [syn: blast, knock down]
10: shrivel or wither or mature imperfectly
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008) [foldoc]:
blast
1. BLT, used especially for large data sends over a network
or comm line. Opposite of snarf. Usage: uncommon. The
variant "blat" has been reported.
2. [HP/Apollo] Synonymous with nuke. Sometimes the message
"Unable to kill all processes. Blast them (y/n)?" would
appear in the command window upon logout.
From Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) [jargon]:
blast
1. v.,n. Synonym for BLT, used esp. for large data sends over a
network or comm line. Opposite of snarf. Usage: uncommon. The
variant `blat' has been reported.
2. vt. [HP/Apollo] Synonymous with nuke (sense 3). Sometimes the
message Unable to kill all processes. Blast them (y/n)? would appear
in the command window upon logout.