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
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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.
The Flatiron Building - with its unique triangular shape, narrow prow, ornamental columns and intricate decorative details - has been one of the most recognisable structures in New York City for more than a century.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
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
The composition looked like the prow of a ship moving steadily ahead through water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2022
Suddenly she saw Paco Ortega get up off a coil of rope on the boat’s prow.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
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.
