NYT Dictionary

BILLOW

/ˈbɪl.oʊ/
NounVerbBIL-lowbil-low · 2 syllablesGrade 5

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2021, 2022, 2024, 2026

Meaning

A large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of something, such as water, smoke, fabric or sound.

Etymology

Origin: Middle English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *belganą Proto-Germanic *bulgijō Old Norse bylgjabor. Middle English *bilwe English billow From Middle English *bilwe, borrowed from Old Norse bylgja, from Proto-Germanic *bulgijō. Cognates include Danish bølge (“wave”); Norwegian Bokmål bølge (“wave”), Norwegian Nynorsk bylgje (“wave”); Swedish bölja (“wave”); German Low German Bulge, Bulg, Bülg (“billow, wave”); German Bulge (“billow, wave”). Compare bellow, bawl.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 2 recorded puzzles:

Join the Spelling Bee Community

Get solving strategies, rare word lists, and puzzle tips in your inbox every week.