stow
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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Nautical.
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to put (cargo, provisions, etc.) in the places intended for them.
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to put (sails, spars, gear, etc.) in the proper place or condition when not in use.
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to put in a place or receptacle, as for storage or reserve; pack.
He stowed the potatoes in our cellar.
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to fill (a place or receptacle) by packing.
to stow a carton with books.
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to have or afford room for; hold.
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Slang. to stop; break off.
Stow it! Stow the talk!
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to put away, as in a safe or convenient place (often followed byaway ).
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to lodge or quarter.
verb phrase
noun
verb
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(often foll by away) to pack or store
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to fill by packing
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nautical to pack or put away (cargo, sails and other gear, etc)
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to have enough room for
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slang (usually imperative) to cease from
stow your noise!
stow it!
noun
Other Word Forms
- restow verb (used with object)
- stowable adjective
Etymology
Origin of stow
1300–50; Middle English stowen, Old English stōwigan to keep, hold back (literally, to place), derivative of stōw place; akin to Old Norse eldstō fireplace, Gothic stojan to judge (literally, to place)
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.
Gate agents explain that my wheelchair needs to be stowed under the plane, which takes time.
But if both parents work, children have to be stowed in child care until they’re old enough for kindergarten or first grade — let’s say up to age 5 or 6.
From Los Angeles Times
They were chasing me when I stowed away on a boat that got me across The English Channel to France.
From Literature
Tchiroma, stowed away in his residence since Monday, said Friday that part of the army was protecting him and called for public support through a "ghost towns" strategy from Monday to Wednesday.
From Barron's
When customer orders come in, robots pick merchandise out of a grid system where goods are stowed, and bring the items to workers.
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.
