bower

¹

[ bou-er ]

noun

1. a leafy shelter or recess; arbor.
2. a rustic dwelling; cottage.
3. a lady's boudoir in a medieval castle.

verb (used with object)

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

bower

²

[ bou-er ]

noun

, Nautical.

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

bower

³

[ bou-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that bows or bends.

bower

⁴

[ boh-er ]

noun

, Music.

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

bower

¹

/ 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

bower

²

/ ˈbaʊə /

noun

1. a jack in euchre and similar card games

bower

³

/ ˈbaʊə /

noun

1. nautical a vessel's bow anchor

Derived Forms

• ˈbowery, adjective

Other Words From

• bower·like adjective

Word History and Origins

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; bow ², -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of bower¹

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

Origin of bower²

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

Origin of bower³

C18: from bow ³ + -er ¹

Example Sentences

At least some of that wonder must have crept right off their marriage bower at the Globe.

From The Daily Beast

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

From The Daily Beast

After authorities told Bower her son had been sexually abused by older boys, Bower resumed custody.

From The Daily Beast

Tom Bower is the author of Oil, Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century.

From The Daily Beast

Tom Bower, author of Oil, Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century, on what it means for the Gulf.

From The Daily Beast

They found the old woman alone, knitting in her rustic chair in her floral bower on the roof.

From Project Gutenberg

As the strongest winds were the South and East, the bower anchor was laid in the latter direction.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a real bower for a maiden of romance, with its rich green fragrance in the midst of winter.

From Project Gutenberg

Somewhere else queen's wreath and devil's ivy made a tiny bower of loveliness.

From Project Gutenberg

He was long gone thence to the bower where Elfrida sat with her maidens preparing for the morrow.

From Project Gutenberg