bellows

/ˈbɛl.oʊz/

bellows means A surname.

bellows is pronounced /ˈbɛl.oʊz/.

Etymology

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.

name

A surname.

noun

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.e.g.“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 lungs.
Flexible, light-tight enclosures connecting the lensboard and the camera back.
That which fans the fire of hatred, jealousy, etc.

verb

To operate a bellows; to direct air at (something) using a bellows.e.g.“[…] 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.” — 1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC:
To expand and contract like a bellows.
To fold up like a bellows; to accordion.e.g.“Without being tight […] the boot leg should fit close. The ankle should be supple as a stocking, and “bellowsed” to make sure of suppleness.” — 1916, Roger Pocock, chapter 6, in Horses, 2nd edition, London: John Murray, published 1917, pages 170–171:

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

bellowsman 77% match — A worker who uses a bellows. vs bellows →
bellowslike 77% match — Resembling or characteristic of a bellows (device for delivering pressurized air). vs bellows →
bellowsed 76% match — Furnished with a bellows (of a particular type). vs bellows →
bellowsmaking 71% match — The manufacture of bellows. vs bellows →
bellowsmaker 68% match — A manufacturer of bellows. vs bellows →
bellowsful 67% match — Enough to fill a bellows. vs bellows →
blow 66% match — To produce an air current. vs bellows →
bellow 65% match — The deep roar of a large animal, or any similar loud noise. vs bellows →