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

dhodhekánisos, dhole, dholl, dhooly, dhoti, dhow, dhs, dhss, dhu ʾl-hijjah, dhu ʾl-qaʿda, dhulia

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 dhows

The dhows came no nearer, neither did they go much further away.
A Master of Fortune|Cutcliffe Hyne
Voyages are still regularly made in dhows between the west coast of India and Zanzibar or Mombasa and the trade appears to be old.
Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 (of 3)|Charles Eliot
Dhows were frequently seen and chased, but those which were overhauled proved to be legal traders.
Ned Garth|W. H. G. Kingston
The first thing, however, to be done was to destroy the dhows.
The Three Commanders|W.H.G. Kingston

They were for the present, indeed, more interested with the dhows taken by the lieutenant and the other boat.
The Three Commanders|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for dhows

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 dhows

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."