different between barrage vs bluster

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French barrage (“barrage, barrier”). Compare barrier.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?bæ????/
• (US) IPA^(key): /b??????/

Noun

barrage (plural barrages)

1. An artificial obstruction, such as a dam, in a river designed to increase its depth or to divert its flow.

   Hyponym: dam

2. (military) A heavy curtain of artillery fire directed in front of one's own troops to screen and protect them.
   • 2014, Edward G. Lengel, A Companion to the Meuse-Argonne Campaign, John Wiley & Sons (?ISBN), page 350:

     The 75s of V Corps fired a standard rolling barrage, while the larger 155 mm and 8-inch pieces fired standing barrages 500 meters beyond the barrage line. For the rolling barrage, one battery in each battalion fired low, bursting shrapnel instead of the standard high explosive.

3. A concentrated discharge of projectile weapons.
4. (by extension) An overwhelming outburst of words, especially of criticism.
5. (fencing) A "next hit wins" contest to determine the winner of a bout in case of a tie.
6. Type of firework containing a mixture of firework types in one single-ignition package.

Derived terms

• barrage balloon
• barrage jamming
• rolling barrage

Translations

Verb

barrage (third-person singular simple present barrages, present participle barraging, simple past and past participle barraged)

1. (transitive) To direct a barrage at.

   Synonym: bombard

Further reading

• barrage (dam) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• barrage (artillery) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

barrer +? -age

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.?a?/, /b?.?a?/

Noun

barrage m (plural barrages)

1. dam, barrage
2. barrier, roadblock

Derived terms

• faire barrage à

Further reading

• “barrage” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• bagarre, bagarré

English

Etymology

From Middle English blusteren (“to wander about aimlessly”); however, apparently picking up the modern sense from Middle Low German blüstren (“to blow violently”; compare later Low German blustern, blistern). Related to blow, blast. Compare also Saterland Frisian bloasje (“to blow”), bruusje (“to bluster”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?bl?s.t?/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?bl?s.t?/
• (US)
• (General Australian)
• Rhymes: -?st?(r)

Noun

bluster (countable and uncountable, plural blusters)

1. Pompous, officious talk.
2. A gust of wind.
3. Fitful noise and violence.

Synonyms

• (pompous talk): bombast

Translations

Verb

bluster (third-person singular simple present blusters, present participle blustering, simple past and past participle blustered)

1. To speak or protest loudly.

2. To act or speak in an unduly threatening manner.
   • 1774, Edmund Burke, A Speech on American Taxation

     Your ministerial directors blustered like tragic tyrants.

   • 1532, Thomas More, Confutation of Tyndale's Answer

     He bloweth and blustereth out […] his abominable blasphemy.

   • As if therewith he meant to bluster all princes into a perfect obedience to his commands.

3. To blow in strong or sudden gusts.

Translations

Derived terms

Anagrams

• Butlers, Struble, brustle, bustler, butlers, subtler, turbels