stow

¹

[stoh]

verb (used with object)

1. Nautical.

   1. to put (cargo, provisions, etc.) in the places intended for them.

   2. to put (sails, spars, gear, etc.) in the proper place or condition when not in use.

2. to put in a place or receptacle, as for storage or reserve; pack.

   He stowed the potatoes in our cellar.

3. to fill (a place or receptacle) by packing.

   to stow a carton with books.

4. to have or afford room for; hold.

5. Slang.,  to stop; break off.

   Stow it! Stow the talk!

6. to put away, as in a safe or convenient place (often followed byaway ).

7. to lodge or quarter.

verb phrase

1. stow away,  to conceal oneself aboard a ship or other conveyance in order to obtain free transportation or to elude pursuers.

Stow

²

[stoh]

noun

1. a city in NE Ohio.

stow

¹

/ stəʊ /

verb

1. (often foll by away) to pack or store

2. to fill by packing

3. nautical to pack or put away (cargo, sails and other gear, etc)

4. to have enough room for

5. slang,  (usually imperative) to cease from

   stow your noise!

   stow it!

Stow

²

/ stəʊ /

noun

1. John. 1525–1605, English antiquary, noted for his Survey of London and Westminster (1598; 1603)

Other Word Forms

• stowable adjective
• restow verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of stow¹

1300–50; Middle English stowen, Old English stōwigan to keep, hold back (literally, to place), derivative of stōw place; akin to Old Norse eldstō fireplace, Gothic stojan to judge (literally, to place)

Word History and Origins

Origin of stow¹

Old English stōwian to keep, hold back, from stōw a place; related to Old High German stouwen to accuse, Gothic stōjan to judge, Old Slavonic staviti to place

Example Sentences

She stows a small knitted figurine of legendary England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson, made for her by a friend's grandmother when Aldcroft was a teenager, in her kit bag for every game.

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They stowed away most of their jewelry into a safe just after 2 p.m., according to relatives.

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After a few false starts, he stowed away in 1929 on a ship bound for New Jersey, adopting the name Tom Parker shortly after reaching American soil.

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Yet Trương doesn’t solely focus on these two young lovers, nor on Nam’s specific plan to stow himself away for good.

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Some schools have given teachers cubbies where students deposit their devices; others simply require them to be powered down and stowed.

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Related Words

• put away 
• secrete 
• stash 
• tuck