prow
1 Americannoun
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the forepart of a ship or boat; bow.
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the front end of an airship.
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Literary. a ship.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prow1
1545–55; < Middle French proue < Upper Italian ( Genoese ) prua < Latin prōra < Greek prôira
Origin of prow2
1350–1400; Middle English < Old French prou < Vulgar Latin *prōdis. See proud
Explanation
If you’re standing on the prow of a ship, you're on the front section, above the waterline. When Leonardo DiCaprio declared himself “King of the World” in the movie Titanic, he was standing on the prow of the doomed ship. Prow came into English from the Greek word prōira, from a base meaning “in front.” Prow typically refers to the front part of a ship — the pointy bit that cuts through the water. You might see the prow of a ship approach the harbor through the fog. You can also use prow for things that look like the front of a ship, like the prow of a rock formation.
Vocabulary lists containing prow
Words Every Pirate Should Know
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Beowulf
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
In the book’s moving final pages, the mouse faces down the oncoming waves with all the fierceness of a captain at the prow of her ship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
A shoulder bag with a disposable diaper, baby bottle and infant shoes sits on one prow alongside tins of anchovies and tuna from Tunisia and many plastic sandals.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 13, 2024
Whenever the beach goes underwater and the waves move in, this corner building looks like the prow of a ship lost at sea.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2023
His buildings had undulating peaked roofs, or roofs shaped liked wings or the prow of a ship.
From New York Times ● Jul. 30, 2023
Ignatius pointed the prow of the wagon into the throng and pushed forward.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
