blower

[/ˈbloʊər/]
nounpl: blowers
ventilador, soprador
1. A machine or device that produces a current of air by forcing it out
The leaf blower made quick work of cleaning the driveway.
O soprador de folhas limpou rapidamente a entrada da garagem.
2. A person who plays a wind instrument
He's an excellent saxophone blower.
Ele é um excelente tocador de saxofone.
3. A person who blows glass or makes glass products
The glass blower created beautiful decorative pieces.
O vidreiro criou peças decorativas lindas.
4. British slang: a telephone
Give me a ring on the blower later.
Me liga no telefone depois.
5. Someone who exposes secrets or wrongdoing (whistleblower)
The corporate blower revealed the company's illegal practices.
O denunciante revelou as práticas ilegais da empresa.
In Brazilian Portuguese, 'soprador' and 'ventilador' are the standard terms. The British slang usage of 'blower' for telephone is not commonly transferred to Portuguese. In American English, 'leaf blower' is extremely common in suburban maintenance. The term 'whistleblower' (denunciante or delator in Portuguese) has become increasingly important in corporate and political contexts in both countries.
NYC Slang
blow-hard (for someone who talks excessively); also used to refer to a telephone in older NYC usage
Synonyms / Sinônimos
fanventilatorair pumpwind instrument playerwhistleblower
Antonyms / Antônimos
vacuumsuction device

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
ventilador, soprador
Most common term for mechanical air devices
Rio de Janeiro
soprador, ventilador
No significant regional variation
São Paulo
ventilador, soprador
Industrial use common; soprador de vidro for glass blowing
Portugal
ventilador, soprador
Soprador commonly used; less use of 'blower' slang for telephone than in UK English

Related Words

blowblowingblownleaf blowerair blowerglass blowing

Related Idioms & Phrases

full blast blower
at full blower
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