English Reference
Noun

blower

n. countable
C1 Advanced US /ˈbɫoʊɝ/ UK /blˈəʊɐ/ blow·er UK spelling blowers Mining Nautical

n.the telephone. People in the UK often use this word when they are talking about making a phone call.

n.a telephone. Chiefly British and informal; frequently used in the phrase 'on the blower'.


SIMPLE

I was on the blower with my mum for an hour.

CONTEXTUAL

Get on the blower and tell the manager we need the delivery by five o'clock.

COMPLEX

The detective spent the entire morning on the blower, coordinating with various precincts to ensure the suspect had no place left to hide.

Usage

Usually appears with the definite article in the phrase 'on the blower'.

To my surprise, the electric backpack leaf blower I strap on is not much heavier than my normal rucksack.

BBC News· 20 Aug 2026

Instead of air conditioning, Peach said there were "big blowers" on board, expelling hot air.

BBC News· 20 Aug 2026

From Middle English blowere, blower, from Old English blāwere; equivalent to blow + -er.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English blāwere
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated