blow a cloud
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
To smoke a cigar or pipe.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Jack Randall's Scrap-Book
Let me blow a cloud, or a bender spend
At the Pig and Tinder-Box nightly.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
to smoke a cigar or pipe—a phrase used two centuries ago. Most likely in use as long as tobacco here—an almost evident conclusion.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “blow a cloud” mean?
To smoke a cigar or pipe.
Is “blow a cloud” formal or informal?
blow a cloud is generally slang.