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.
She had a limited view, but caught a quick glimpse of a flight attendants’ little galley, with neatly stowed drink carts.
From Literature
I guess it’s possible she might have been stowed away in a corner, reading a boring finance book.
From Literature
We stowed our farming tools, removed our boots, and chuckled to each other as the voice rose in pitch and volume.
From Literature
Gelifen, stowed above him among the leaves, gave a soft, strangled peep.
From Literature
“You know you could put that effort into applying to college,” his mother said, draining her cup and grabbing a banana from the bowl on the counter to stow in her tote.
From Literature
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.
