tower

¹ American  

[tau-er] / ˈtaʊ ər /

noun

1. a building or structure high in proportion to its lateral dimensions, either isolated or forming part of a building.

2. such a structure used as or intended for a stronghold, fortress, prison, etc.

3. any of various fully enclosed fireproof housings for vertical communications, as staircases, between the stories of a building.

4. any structure, contrivance, or object that resembles or suggests a tower.

5. a tall, movable structure used in ancient and medieval warfare in storming a fortified place.

6. Computers. a tall, vertical case with accessible horizontal drive bays, designed to house a computer system standing on a desk or floor.

7. Aviation. control tower.

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verb (used without object)

• towers,
  present (3rd person singular)
• towered,
  past participle,  past
• towering
  present participle

1. to rise or extend far upward, as a tower; reach or stand high.

   The skyscraper towers above the city.

2. to rise above or surpass others.

   She towers above the other students.

3. Falconry. (of a hawk) to rise straight into the air; to ring up.

idioms

1. tower of strength, a person who can be relied on for support, aid, or comfort, especially in times of difficulty.

tower ² American  

[toh-er] / ˈtoʊ ər /

noun

1. a person or thing that tows.

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tower British  

/ ˈtaʊə /

noun

1. a tall, usually square or circular structure, sometimes part of a larger building and usually built for a specific purpose

   a church tower

   a control tower

2. a place of defence or retreat

3. a mobile structure used in medieval warfare to attack a castle, etc

4. a person who gives support, comfort, etc

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verb

1. (intr) to be or rise like a tower; loom

tower More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing tower

• ivory tower

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• towerless
  adjective
• towerlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• towering
  present
• towered
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• tower
  simple
• towers
  simple
• have towered
  perfect
• has towered
  perfect
• am towering
  progressive
• are towering
  progressive
• is towering
  progressive
• have been towering
  perfect progressive
• has been towering
  perfect progressive

Past

• towered
  simple
• had towered
  perfect
• was towering
  progressive
• were towering
  progressive
• had been towering
  perfect progressive

Future

• will tower
  simple
• will have towered
  perfect
• will be towering
  progressive
• will have been towering
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of tower¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun tour, earlier tur, tor, from Old French tur, tor, from Latin turris, from Greek týrris, variant of týrsis “tower”; Middle English tor perhaps continuing Old English torr, from Latin turris, as above

Origin of tower²

First recorded in 1485–95; tow ¹ + -er ¹

Explanation

A tower is a tall structure, with the diameter of its base less than its height. Rapunzel lived in a tower. If you have a super tall friend and you're short, you could say they tower over you. Towers can come in handy––you can build one and climb to the top, looking out for approaching enemies, or in the case of a fire tower, for early signs of forest fires. One of the most famous towers is the Tower of London, with its long-held reputation as a place of torture and execution. Most people are surprised to learn that only seven people were executed in the Tower.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tower towers towered towering

The announcement was good news for shares of tower companies, as SpaceX’s mobile ambitions signal a potential resurgence in demand for cell towers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Standing near a radiation monitoring tower and an alarm post, 15-year-old Mohammad Nafiz said he saw little to fear.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

The current owners have secured city permission to build a 41-story apartment or condo tower on top of the Bloc’s original 12-story garage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

As the new flight approached the airport in Tel Aviv, it checked in with the tower.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The losses were sufficient to wipe out not only the bonds Michael Burry had bet against but also a lot of the more highly rated ones in the same tower.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

The announcement was good news for shares of tower companies, as SpaceX’s mobile ambitions signal a potential resurgence in demand for cell towers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

In a Thursday note, Bernstein analyst Madison Rezaei said the acquisition highlights the continuing importance of traditional cell towers.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026

Customs and Border Protection for hundreds of autonomous surveillance towers along the southern border.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

Cortizo and I were surrounded by towers of crates as we spoke, at the end of the longest freight rail link in the world.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

The starfolk carried several marvel-valises from dormitory towers.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

The team's famous software engineering was immortalised in a 1969 photograph of Hamilton standing beside the stack of printed code that towered beside her.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The 6-foot-7 Tanter towered over many, but greeted everyone with a kind smile and warm conversation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

A tsunami of that size would have towered more than 330 feet above sea level, higher than many modern skyscrapers.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026

Joshua, meanwhile, who towered above Paul during Friday's event, warned he is ready to deliver an emphatic victory.

From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025

But now it was eerie, the tranquil lake with these skeletons that had once towered proudly over forests and villages, standing in their watery wasteland.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

Thiero’s towering one-handed dunk over two Golden State defenders provided a highlight in the Lakers’ otherwise forgettable 124-98 preseason loss to the Warriors at Chase Center on Tuesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

There is no doubt he remains a towering figure in the left.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

But when she left Cambridge in 2001, she donated her famous kitchen — pegboard walls, towering countertops and all — to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, where it remains on display.

From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026

Nearly a century after the crash of the Hindenburg airship, the images of towering flames and mangled metal haven’t lost their power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

“Mrs. Kate Warne is the chief of my Female Detective Force,” Mr. Pinkerton announced to our towering traveling companion.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan