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stowaway

[ stoh-uh-wey ]
/ ˈstoʊ əˌweɪ /
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noun
a person who hides aboard a ship or airplane in order to obtain free transportation or elude pursuers.
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Origin of stowaway

First recorded in 1850–55; noun use of verb phrase stow away
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use stowaway in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stowaway

stowaway
/ (ˈstəʊəˌweɪ) /

noun
a person who hides aboard a vehicle, ship, or aircraft in order to gain free passage
verb stow away
(intr, adverb) to travel in such a way
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

Other Idioms and Phrases with stowaway

stow away

1

Put aside or store something until needed, as in We generally stow away the lawn furniture in the toolshed. [Late 1700s]

2

Hide oneself aboard ship or in a vehicle in order to get free transportation, as in The youngsters planned to stow away on a freighter but they never even got to the waterfront. This usage gave rise to the noun stowaway. [Mid-1800s]

2

Greedily consume food or drink, as in Bob sure can stow away a lot in a short time. [Colloquial; mid-1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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