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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

Cardigan Town Council also supplied a water bowser for affected residents to collect water to use to flush their toilets.

From BBC Dec. 20, 2022

Firefighters were called to the scene just after 07:00 BST and have 10 fire engines as well as a water bowser and an aerial ladder platform at the site.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2022

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 Krenkel, Roy G.

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