bowl

[ bohl ]

/ boʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bowl ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

one of the balls, having little or no bias, used in playing ninepins or tenpins.

one of the biased or weighted balls used in lawn bowling.

bowls, (used with a singular verb) lawn bowling.

a delivery of the ball in bowling or lawn bowling.

(formerly) a rotating cylindrical part in a machine, as one to reduce friction.

verb (used without object)

to play at bowling or bowls; participate in or have a game or games of bowling.

to roll a bowl or ball.

to move along smoothly and rapidly.

Cricket. to deliver the ball to be played by the batsman.

verb (used with object)

to roll or trundle, as a ball or hoop.

to attain by bowling: He bowls a good game. She usually bowls a 120 game, but today she bowled 180.

to knock or strike, as by the ball in bowling (usually followed by over or down).

to carry or convey, as in a wheeled vehicle.

Cricket. to eliminate (a batsman) by bowling (usually followed by out): He was bowled for a duck. He was bowled out for a duck.

Verb Phrases

bowl over, to surprise greatly: We were bowled over by the news.

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Origin of bowl

1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule < Middle French < Latin bulla bubble, knob; cf. boil¹, bola

Words nearby bowl

bowie, bowie knife, bowie state, bowing, bowknot, bowl, bowl game, bowl of cherries, life is just a, bowl over, bowlder, bowldering

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for bowl over (1 of 3)

bowl over

verb (tr, adverb)

informal to surprise (a person) greatly, esp in a pleasant way; astound; amazehe was bowled over by our gift

to knock (a person or thing) down; cause to fall over

British Dictionary definitions for bowl over (2 of 3)

bowl¹

/ (bəʊl) /

noun

a round container open at the top, used for holding liquid, keeping fruit, serving food, etc

Also: bowlful the amount a bowl will hold

the rounded or hollow part of an object, esp of a spoon or tobacco pipe

any container shaped like a bowl, such as a sink or lavatory

mainly US a bowl-shaped building or other structure, such as a football stadium or amphitheatre

a bowl-shaped depression of the land surfaceSee also dust bowl

literary

a drinking cup
intoxicating drink

Word Origin for bowl

Old English bolla; related to Old Norse bolli, Old Saxon bollo

British Dictionary definitions for bowl over (3 of 3)

bowl²

/ (bəʊl) /

noun

a wooden ball used in the game of bowls, having flattened sides, one side usually being flatter than the other in order to make it run on a curved course

a large heavy ball with holes for gripping with the fingers and thumb, used in tenpin bowling

verb

to roll smoothly or cause to roll smoothly, esp by throwing underarm along the ground

(intr usually foll by along) to move easily and rapidly, as in a car

cricket

to send (a ball) down the pitch from one's hand towards the batsman, keeping the arm straight while doing so
Also: bowl out to dismiss (a batsman) by delivering a ball that breaks his wicket

(intr) to play bowls or tenpin bowling

(tr) (in tenpin bowling) to score (a specified amount)he bowled 120

Word Origin for bowl

C15: from French boule, ultimately from Latin bulla bubble

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

Idioms and Phrases with bowl over

bowl over

Astonish, surprise greatly, overwhelm, as in I was simply bowled over by their wonderful performance. This term originated in cricket, where it means “to knock all the bails off the wicket.” [Mid-1800s]

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bowl