What is the Latin word for blow?

The usual Latin words for “blow” are percussiō, ictus, plāga; also verber, petītiō, fulmen. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“blow” in Latin

percussiōbeating, striking; percussion (act of beating etc); beat ictusa beating time, a beat; a beat of the pulse; an attack, shot plāgaplague, misfortune; stroke, blow, cut, strike; wound, gash, injury verberlash, whip, scourge, rod; a thong of a sling or other similar projectile weapons; a stroke with a whip, a lashing, scour petītiōan attack, thrust, blow; a request, petition, beseeching; an applying for office fulmenlightning that strikes or sets on fire; a thunderbolt cāsusa fall, downwards movement; accident, chance; an event, happening, occurrence damnumdamage, injury; loss, disadvantage; fine, mulct, penalty flōto breathe, blow cōnflōto kindle (a fire); to forge, fuse or melt (metal); to refine or purify

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

blow s.

percussio (a striking with force), ictus, plaga, verber, petitio (blow aimed at one). FIG., fulmen, casus, damnum. A mortal blow, ictus mortiferus, plaga mortifera. At one blow, uno ictu. To give one a blow, plagam alicui inferre, infligere. A blow in the face with the open hand, alicui alapam ducere. A blow with the clinched fist, alicui colaphum ducere; alicui pugnum or colaphum impingere. To give one blows, aliquem pulsare, verberare, verberibus caedere. They come to blows, res venit ad manus. To despise the blows of fortune, fulmina fortunae contemnere. I have received a heavy blow, gravissimam accepi plagam (figuratively). One blow follows another, damna damnis continuantur. To prepare himself for the decisive blow, ad discrimen accingi.

blow v.

of the wind, flare, (spirare, poetical).

Of the breath, flare, conflare: to puff, anhelare: of a horse, fremere (to snort). To blow an instrument, canere, cantare, ludere (with ablative), inflare (with accusative): of the instrument blown, canere. The winds blow contrary, reflant venti. A wind which blows from the north, ventus qui a septentrionibus oritur. To blow upon, afflare. To blow away, dissipare, difflare; rapere (snatch off). To be blown down, vento affligi ad terram, prosterni, dejici. To blow out, exstinguere. To blow (make by blowing), flare, flatu figurare. To blow up the fire, ignem conflare, sutflare, buccis excitare. To blow up the cheeks, buccas inflare, sufflare. To blow up the body, corpus inflare. To blow a man up, inflare alicujus animum: to be blown up, inani superbia tumere, superbia se efferre. To blow up (kindle, inflame), accendere, conflare. To blow up with gunpowder, aliquid vi pulveris pyrii displodere. To be blown into the air, vi pulveris pyrii sublime rapi.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for blow?: The usual Latin words for “blow” are percussiō, ictus, plāga; also verber, petītiō, fulmen. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.