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bowl¹

(bōl)

a. A hemispherical vessel, wider than it is deep, used for holding food or fluids.

b. The contents of such a vessel.

2. A drinking goblet.

3. A bowl-shaped part, as of a spoon or pipe.

a. A bowl-shaped topographic depression.

b. A bowl-shaped stadium or outdoor theater.

5. Football Any of various postseason games played between specially selected teams, especially at the college level.

[Middle English bowle, from Old English bolla; see bhel-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

bowl²

(bōl)

1. A ball, traditionally made of wood, that is weighted or slightly flattened so as to roll with a bias, used in lawn bowling.

2. A roll or throw of a ball in lawn bowling and other bowling games.

3. bowls(used with a sing. verb) See lawn bowling.

4. A revolving cylinder or drum in a machine.

v. bowled, bowl·ing, bowls

v.intr.

a. To participate in a game of bowling: I bowl every Thursday night in a league.

b. To throw or roll a ball in a game of bowling: It's your turn to bowl.

c. To hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch toward the batsman at the other, keeping the arm straight throughout the delivery.

2. To move quickly and smoothly, especially by rolling: The sportscar bowled along through the countryside.

v.tr.

1. To throw or roll (a ball).

a. To make (a specified score) in bowling: placed first by bowling 237; bowled a strike in the first frame.

b. To perform (a specified amount, as a string or game) in bowling: She bowled eight frames before deciding to use a different ball.

3. To move quickly and smoothly by or as if by rolling: bowled a tire from the garage.

4. To meet or strike with or as if with the force of a rapidly rolling object: The swimmer was bowled over by the wave.

Phrasal Verbs:

bowl out

To retire (a batsman in cricket) with a bowled ball that knocks the bails off the wicket.

bowl over

1. To take by surprise.

2. To make a powerful impression on; overwhelm.

[Middle English boule, from Old French, from Latin bulla, round object.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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