bower

[ bou-er ]

/ ˈbaʊ ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bower ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a leafy shelter or recess; arbor.

a rustic dwelling; cottage.

a lady's boudoir in a medieval castle.

verb (used with object)

to enclose in or as in a bower; embower.

Origin of bower

before 900; Middle English bour, Old English būr chamber; cognate with Old Norse būr pantry, German Bauer birdcage; akin to neighbor

OTHER WORDS FROM bower

bow·er·like, adjective

Words nearby bower

bowell, bowen, bowen's disease, bowen's reaction series, bowenite, bower, bowerbird, bowers, bowery, bowfin, bowgrace

Definition for bower (2 of 6)

bower ²

[ bou-er ]

/ ˈbaʊ ər /

noun Nautical.

an anchor carried at a ship's bow.

Also called bower anchor.

Origin of bower

First recorded in 1645–55; bow³ + -er¹

Definition for bower (3 of 6)

bower ³

[ bou-er ]

/ ˈbaʊ ər /

noun

a person or thing that bows or bends.

Origin of bower

First recorded in 1590–1600; bow¹ + -er¹

Definition for bower (4 of 6)

bower ⁴

[ boh-er ]

/ ˈboʊ ər /

noun Music.

a musician, as a violinist, who performs with a bow on a stringed instrument.

Origin of bower

⁴

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at bow², -er¹

Definition for bower (5 of 6)

bow ²

[ boh ]

/ boʊ /

noun

a flexible strip of wood or other material, bent by a string stretched between its ends, for shooting arrows: He drew the bow and sent the arrow to its target.

an instrument resembling this, used for various purposes, as rotating a drill or spindle, or loosening entangled or matted fibers.

a bend or curve.

Also called bowknot. a looped knot composed of two or more loops and two ends, as for tying together the ends of a ribbon or string.

any separate piece of looped, knotted, or shaped gathering of ribbon, cloth, paper, etc., used as a decoration, as on a package, dress, or the like.

a long rod, originally curved but now nearly straight, with horsehairs stretched from one end to the other, used for playing on a musical instrument of the violin and viol families.

a single movement of such a device over the strings of a violin, viol, or the like.

bow tie.

something curved or arc-shaped.

a saddlebow.

an archer; bowman: He is the best bow in the county.

temple²(def 3).

a U-shaped piece for placing under an animal's neck to hold a yoke.

Building Trades. a flexible rod used for laying out large curves.

the part of a key grasped by the fingers.

the loop on the stem of a watch by which the watch is attached to a chain or the like.

a rainbow.

adjective

curved outward at the center; bent: bow legs.

verb (used with or without object)

to bend into the form of a bow; curve.

Music. to perform by means of a bow upon a stringed instrument.

Textiles Obsolete. to loosen by passing a vibrating bow among entangled fibers.

Origin of bow

before 1000; Middle English bowe (noun), Old English boga; cognate with Dutch boog, German Bogen, Old Norse bogi; akin to bow¹

OTHER WORDS FROM bow

bowed·ness, noun bow·less, adjective bow·like, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bow

bode bowed

Definition for bower (6 of 6)

bow ³

[ bou ]

/ baʊ /

noun

Nautical, Aeronautics.

the forward end of a vessel or airship.
either side of this forward end, especially with reference to the direction of a distant object: a mooring two points off the port bow.

bows, Nautical. the exterior of the forward end of a vessel, especially one in which the hull slopes back on both sides of the stem.

the foremost oar in rowing a boat.

Also called bowman, bow oar. the person who pulls that oar.

adjective

of or relating to the bow of a ship.

Origin of bow

1620–30; < Low German boog (noun) or Dutch boeg or Danish bov; see bough

Example sentences from the Web for bower

Bower seems not to understand that all flight-testing is incremental.

Branson’s Galactic Obstacles: Tom Bower Puts a Damper on Virgin’s Space Flight Dreams |Clive Irving |January 30, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
After authorities told Bower her son had been sexually abused by older boys, Bower resumed custody.

Death Sentence for Arizona Child Killer |Terry Greene Sterling |April 7, 2011 |DAILY BEAST
Throckmorton had set down the bower at the stern, that the wind might have less hold.

Privy Seal |Ford Madox Ford
On a sudden, Margaret sat upright in the doorway of her bower.

Stories from the Ballads |Mary MacGregor

Seated under the bower of jasmine and honeysuckle I felt as if I were experiencing the enchantment of paradise, of another Eden.

The Story of a Child |Pierre Loti
These rocks were a bower of delight to the sentimental girl.

The Secret of the Storm Country |Grace Miller White
To the east of the south transept is the former chapel of Our Lady of the Bower.

Wanderings in Wessex |Edric Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for bower (1 of 7)

bower ¹

/ (ˈbaʊə) /

noun

a shady leafy shelter or recess, as in a wood or garden; arbour

literary a lady's bedroom or apartments, esp in a medieval castle; boudoir

literary a country cottage, esp one regarded as charming or picturesque

Derived forms of bower

bowery, adjective

Word Origin for bower

Old English būr dwelling; related to Old Norse būr pantry, Old High German būr dwelling

British Dictionary definitions for bower (2 of 7)

bower ²

/ (ˈbaʊə) /

noun

nautical a vessel's bow anchor

Word Origin for bower

C18: from bow ³ + -er 1

British Dictionary definitions for bower (3 of 7)

bower ³

/ (ˈbaʊə) /

noun

a jack in euchre and similar card games

Word Origin for bower

C19: from German Bauer peasant, jack (in cards)

British Dictionary definitions for bower (4 of 7)

bow ¹

/ (baʊ) /

verb

to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, assent, or shame

to bend or cause to bend; incline downwards

(intr ; usually foll by to or before) to comply or accept bow to the inevitable

(tr ; foll by in, out, to etc) to usher (someone) into or out of a place with bows and deference the manager bowed us to our car

(tr; usually foll by down) to bring (a person, nation, etc) to a state of submission

bow and scrape to behave in an excessively deferential or obsequious way

noun

a lowering or inclination of the head or body as a mark of respect, greeting, or assent

take a bow to acknowledge or receive applause or praise

Word Origin for bow

Old English būgan, related to Old Norse bjūgr bent, Old High German biogan to bend, Dutch buigen

British Dictionary definitions for bower (5 of 7)

bow ²

/ (bəʊ) /

noun

a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, metal, etc bent by a string (bowstring) fastened at each end See also crossbow

a long slightly curved stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing the strings of a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument
a stroke with such a stick

a decorative interlacing of ribbon or other fabrics, usually having two loops and two loose ends
the knot forming such an interlacing; bowknot

something that is curved, bent, or arched
(in combination)rainbow; oxbow; saddlebow

a person who uses a bow and arrow; archer

a frame of a pair of spectacles
a sidepiece of the frame of a pair of spectacles that curls round behind the ear

a metal ring forming the handle of a pair of scissors or of a large old-fashioned key

architect part of a building curved in the form of a bow See also bow window

verb

to form or cause to form a curve or curves

to make strokes of a bow across (violin strings)

Word Origin for bow

Old English boga arch, bow; related to Old Norse bogi a bow, Old High German bogo, Old Irish bocc, and bow 1

British Dictionary definitions for bower (6 of 7)

bow ³

/ (baʊ) /

noun

mainly nautical

(often plural) the forward end or part of a vessel
(as modifier)the bow mooring line

rowing short for bowman 2

on the port bow nautical within 45 degrees to the port of straight ahead

on the starboard bow nautical within 45 degrees to the starboard of straight ahead

a shot across someone's bows informal a warning

Word Origin for bow

C15: probably from Low German boog; related to Dutch boeg, Danish bov ship's bow, shoulder; see bough

British Dictionary definitions for bower (7 of 7)

Bow

/ (bəʊ) /

noun

Clara, known as the It Girl . 1905–65, US film actress, noted for her vivacity and sex appeal

Idioms and Phrases with bower

bow

In addition to the idioms beginning with bow

bow and scrape
bowl of cherries, life is just a
bowl over
bow out

also see:

take a bow
two strings to one's bow

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

bower

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of bower

OTHER WORDS FROM bower

Words nearby bower

Definition for bower (2 of 6)

noun Nautical.

Origin of bower

Definition for bower (3 of 6)

noun

Origin of bower

Definition for bower (4 of 6)

noun Music.

Origin of bower

Definition for bower (5 of 6)

noun

adjective

verb (used with or without object)

Origin of bow

OTHER WORDS FROM bow

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bow

Definition for bower (6 of 6)

noun

adjective

Origin of bow

Words related to bower

Example sentences from the Web for bower

British Dictionary definitions for bower (1 of 7)

noun

Derived forms of bower

Word Origin for bower

British Dictionary definitions for bower (2 of 7)

noun

Word Origin for bower

British Dictionary definitions for bower (3 of 7)

noun

Word Origin for bower

British Dictionary definitions for bower (4 of 7)

verb

noun

Word Origin for bow

British Dictionary definitions for bower (5 of 7)

noun

verb

Word Origin for bow

British Dictionary definitions for bower (6 of 7)

noun

Word Origin for bow

British Dictionary definitions for bower (7 of 7)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with bower