bower

¹ American  

[bou-er] / ˈbaʊ ər /

noun

1. a leafy shelter or recess; arbor.

2. a rustic dwelling; cottage.

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to enclose in or as in a bower; embower.

bower ² American  

[bou-er] / ˈbaʊ ər /

noun

Nautical.

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

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bower ³ American  

[bou-er] / ˈbaʊ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that bows or bends.

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bower ⁴ American  

[boh-er] / ˈboʊ ər /

noun

Music.

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

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bower ¹ British  

/ 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

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

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bower ² British  

/ ˈbaʊə /

noun

1. nautical a vessel's bow anchor

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bower ³ British  

/ ˈbaʊə /

noun

1. a jack in euchre and similar card games

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Other Word Forms

• bowerlike
  adjective
• bowery
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bower¹

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

Origin of bower²

First recorded in 1645–55; bow ³ + -er ¹

Origin of bower³

First recorded in 1590–1600; bow ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of bower⁴

First recorded in 1650–70; see origin at bow ², -er ¹

Explanation

A natural or human-made arch that supports climbing plants is a bower. For next year's holiday card, you should use that photo of your dog sitting under the bower of flowering roses. Some bowers are deliberately constructed to give vines and other climbing greenery a place to grow, often framing a garden entryway. You can also use this word for a shady spot under a curve of trees: "We always stop for a picnic at the bower of dogwood trees beside the lake." The Old English source is bur, "room or dwelling." Bower is less commonly used as a verb: "I love the way those trellises bower your patio."

Example Sentences

Ohio farmer and National Corn Growers Association President Jed Bower called the new quota “a positive move.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said Bower had "long crossed the line from criticism into fixation".

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

“I was mortified. I haven’t seen a crash like that maybe ever,” Bower said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026

Jamie Campbell Bower, the actor who plays Vecna in ‘Stranger Things,’ breaks down the process of becoming the series’ terrifying villain, from his character development to the practical and visual effects behind the scenes.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 25, 2025

They were waltzing to the strains of ‘Build Me a Bower of Moonbeams’.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck