dhow

or dau, dow

[ dou ]

/ daʊ /

noun

any of various types of sailing vessels used by Arabs on the east African, Arabian, and Indian coasts, generally lateen-rigged on two or three masts.

Nearby words

Origin of dhow

First recorded in 1795–1805, dhow is from the Arabic word dāwa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dhow

Thus supplied, our two friends embarked in the dhow and set sail.
Black Ivory|R.M. Ballantyne
I felt quite disappointed when the storm ceased, and the dhow glided on her course as before.
Ned Garth|W. H. G. Kingston
By altering her course slightly she was thus able to pass close enough to the dhow to ascertain her character.
The Three Admirals|W.H.G. Kingston
A gentle breeze fills the huge sail of our dhow, and draws us through the water that ripples musically against her sides.
She|H. Rider Haggard

The natives were building a dhow with Lindi and Madagascar timber.
The Discovery of the Source of the Nile|John Hanning Speke

British Dictionary definitions for dhow

dhow

/ (daʊ) /

noun

a lateen-rigged coastal Arab sailing vessel with one or two masts

Word Origin for dhow

C19: from Arabic dāwa

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

Word Origin and History for dhow

dhow

1799, original language unknown, "single-masted native vessel used on Arabian Sea," later widely applied to all Arab vessels. Klein suggests a relation to Persian dav "running."