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Synonyms

bowler

1 American  
[boh-ler] / ˈboʊ lər /

noun

  1. a person who bowl, especially a participant in a bowling game, as candlepins or tenpins.

  2. Cricket. the player who throws the ball to be played by the batsman.

bowler 2 American  
[boh-ler] / ˈboʊ lər /

noun

Chiefly British.

  1. derby.

bowler 1 British  
/ ˈbəʊlə /

noun

  1. one who bowls in cricket

  2. a player at the game of bowls

"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
bowler 2 British  
/ ˈbəʊlə /

noun

  1. US and Canadian name: derby.  a stiff felt hat with a rounded crown and narrow curved brim

"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
bowler 3 British  
/ ˈbaʊlə /

noun

  1. dialect a dog

"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

Etymology

Origin of bowler1

First recorded in 1490–1500; bowl 2 + -er 1

Origin of bowler2

First recorded in 1860–65; bowl 1 + -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Bennett, whose mother was a nurse and semi-professional bowler, was the first in his family to finish high school, and first to go to college, where he would earn three degrees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

Cameron Crowe, a cheery Black bowler, is the newer kid, good enough to play in this company, but with no PBA titles to his name.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

They have Jasprit Bumrah, a modern-day phenomenon of a fast bowler.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

India's premier fast bowler has the second-best economy rate, 6.30, of any bowler to have taken part in the Super 8s phase and bowled more than seven overs.

From BBC • Mar. 2, 2026

“Difficult to know where to begin,” muttered Fudge, pulling up the chair, sitting down, and placing his green bowler upon his knees.

From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.