BLOAT, verb transitive [This word may be allied to bladder, from the sense of inflating, swelling.] 1. To swell or make turgid, as with air; to inflate; to puff up; hence, to make vain; followed by up, but without necessity. To bloat up with praise is less elegant than to bloat with praise. 2. To swell or make turgid with water, or other means; as a bloated limb. It is used to denote a morbid enlargement, often accompanied with softness. BLOAT, verb intransitive To grow turgid; to dilate. BLOAT, adjective Swelled; turgid. [Not used.]
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI