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bowser

American  
[bou-zer] / ˈbaʊ zər /

noun

Australian and New Zealand.
  1. a gasoline pump at a filling station.


bowser British  
/ ˈbaʊzə /

noun

  1. a tanker containing fuel for aircraft, military vehicles, etc

  2. obsolete a petrol pump

"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 bowser

1930–35; said to be after S.F. Bowser and Co., a Sydney manufacturer of gasoline and oil storage systems

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.

See Examples For:

As households feel the pinch from rising prices at the bowser, Chalmers said the government would offer 13 million workers a new Aus$250 payment each year.

From Barron's ● May 12, 2026

A mother found her nine-year-old son "in a little ball" after he was struck by a water bowser, she told an inquest.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2024

The operation involved fire crews from Crymych, Cardigan, Newcastle Emlyn, Whitland and Fishguard, a specialist turntable ladder from Haverfordwest, a water bowser from Milford Haven and the Urban Search and Rescue Team.

From BBC ● May 28, 2023

After Red Bull failed to fuel his car correctly during qualifying due to a fault with the bowser, Webber started from the pit lane rather than the back of the grid.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 14, 2013

I drank from a previously unopened water bowser and wolfed several nutratabs.

From Attrition by Roy G. Krenkel

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