bower

1
[ bou-er ]
See synonyms for bower on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a leafy shelter or recess; arbor.

  2. a rustic dwelling; cottage.

  1. a lady's boudoir in a medieval castle.

verb (used with object)
  1. to enclose in or as in a bower; embower.

Origin of bower

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English bour, bur, bure “dwelling, shelter, bower,” Old English būr “dwelling, shelter, chamber”; cognate with Old Norse būr “pantry, storehouse,” German Bauer “cage, birdcage”; akin to neighbor

Other words from bower

  • bow·er·like, adjective

Words Nearby bower

Other definitions for bower (2 of 4)

bower2
[ bou-er ]

nounNautical.
  1. an anchor carried at a ship's bow.

Origin of bower

2
First recorded in 1645–55; bow3 + -er1
  • Also called bower anchor.

Other definitions for bower (3 of 4)

bower3
[ bou-er ]

noun
  1. a person or thing that bows or bends.

Origin of bower

3
First recorded in 1590–1600; bow1 + -er1

Other definitions for bower (4 of 4)

bower4
[ boh-er ]

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

Origin of bower

4
First recorded in 1650–70; see origin at bow2, -er1

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bower (1 of 3)

bower1

/ (ˈbaʊə) /


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

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

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

Origin of bower

1
Old English būr dwelling; related to Old Norse būr pantry, Old High German būr dwelling

Derived forms of bower

  • bowery, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for bower (2 of 3)

bower2

/ (ˈbaʊə) /


noun
  1. nautical a vessel's bow anchor

Origin of bower

2
C18: from bow ³ + -er 1

British Dictionary definitions for bower (3 of 3)

bower3

/ (ˈbaʊə) /


noun
  1. a jack in euchre and similar card games

Origin of bower

3
C19: from German Bauer peasant, jack (in cards)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012