Emily Dickinson Lexicon

blow (-s), n. [origin uncertain.] (webplay: air, breathe, broken, bubble, death, hand, strike, substance, wind).

1. Blast; burst of air; gust of wind.
2. Hit; smite; smack; touch violently.
3. Impact; collision; strike; shock; sudden violent force; [fig.] distress; sorrow; grief; woe; calamitous occurrence.