tower

[ tou-er ]

/ ˈtaʊ ər /

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See synonyms for: tower / towered / towering / towers on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aviation. control tower.

verb (used without object)

to rise or extend far upward, as a tower; reach or stand high: The skyscraper towers above the city.

to rise above or surpass others: She towers above the other students.

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

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about tower

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

Origin of tower

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

OTHER WORDS FROM tower

tow·er·less, adjectivetow·er·like, adjective

Words nearby tower

towelette, toweling, towelling, towel rack, towel rail, tower, tower block, tower bolt, tower crane, towered, Tower Hamlets

Other definitions for tower (2 of 2)

tower²

[ toh-er ]

/ ˈtoʊ ər /

noun

a person or thing that tows.

Origin of tower

First recorded in 1485–95; tow¹ + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tower in a sentence

They also think about equivalences between equivalences, and equivalences between equivalences between equivalences, and so on upward in a never-ending tower of relationships.
Conducting the Mathematical Orchestra From the Middle|Rachel Crowell|September 2, 2020|Quanta Magazine
He made headlines with plans for a “world wireless system,” and won funding from JP Morgan to build the first of several huge transmission towers.
New Zealand Is About to Test Long-Range Wireless Power Transmission|Jason Dorrier|August 30, 2020|Singularity Hub
Telecom operators are rolling it out in what we call macro sites outdoors, the big cell towers, and that’s to get coverage of the population.
‘Work to your strength’: Huawei’s CTO weighs in on U.S. efforts to build a Huawei alternative|Veta Chan|August 20, 2020|Fortune
The final design would be a hybrid, with the concrete base supporting a steel tower and turbine.
GE Will 3D Print the Bases of Wind Turbines Taller Than Seattle’s Space Needle|Jason Dorrier|June 21, 2020|Singularity Hub

These features included the machicoulis, a dropbox-like overhanging structure from where defenders could shoot at the besiegers, and the talus battered-face of the walls that created hard gradients for the approaching siege towers and ladders.
History of the Crusades: Origins, Politics, and Crusaders|Dattatreya Mandal|March 23, 2020|Realm of History
The bell tower bellows loudly when a little muscle power is put into it.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her brother perished in the North Tower of the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks.
Prosecutors Have No Idea When 9/11 Mastermind’s Trial Will Start|Tim Mak|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Movie buffs have commented endlessly on the bell-tower sequence in Vertigo.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It involved a model of the tower set on its side for the shot.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Vertigo there's a strange cut in the first bell-tower sequence.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The tower has four clock faces, pinnacles at the angles, and a steep slate roof and is 120 feet high.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
At the Flagstaff Tower the 74th and the remainder of the 38th suddenly told their officers that they would obey them no longer.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The height of the tower from the level of the street is 105 feet, the slated towers over the lateral pediments being smaller.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
John Wilkes released from the tower by the memorable sentence of chief justice Pratt.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
In a dungeon of the corresponding tower, on this side of the castle, was the prison of Ripperda.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for tower

tower

/ (ˈtaʊə) /

noun

a tall, usually square or circular structure, sometimes part of a larger building and usually built for a specific purposea church tower; a control tower

a place of defence or retreat

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

tower of strength a person who gives support, comfort, etc

verb

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

Word Origin for tower

C12: from Old French tur, from Latin turris, from Greek

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 tower

tower

In addition to the idiom beginning with tower

tower of strength

also see:

ivory tower

tower

Idioms about tower

Origin of tower

OTHER WORDS FROM tower

Words nearby tower

Other definitions for tower (2 of 2)

Origin of tower

Words related to tower

How to use tower in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tower

Word Origin for tower

Other Idioms and Phrases with tower