BOWL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bowl mean? 

• BOWL (noun)
  The noun BOWL has 9 senses:

1. a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids

2. a concave shape with an open top

3. a dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods

4. the quantity contained in a bowl

5. a large structure for open-air sports or entertainments

6. a large ball with finger holes used in the sport of bowling

7. a wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling

8. a small round container that is open at the top for holding tobacco

9. the act of rolling something (as the ball in bowling)

  Familiarity information: BOWL used as a noun is familiar.

• BOWL (verb)
  The verb BOWL has 3 senses:

1. roll (a ball)

2. hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the batsman at the other end

3. engage in the sport of bowling

  Familiarity information: BOWL used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOWL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

vessel (an object used as a container (especially for liquids))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bowl"):

toilet bowl (the bowl of a toilet that can be flushed with water)

mazer (a large hardwood drinking bowl)

jorum (a large drinking bowl)

fish bowl; fishbowl; goldfish bowl (a transparent bowl in which small fish are kept)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A concave shape with an open top

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

bowl; trough

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

concave shape; concavity; incurvation; incurvature (a shape that curves or bends inward)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

dish (a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bowl"):

cereal bowl (a bowl for holding breakfast cereal)

finger bowl (small bowl for rinsing the fingers at table)

mixing bowl (bowl used with an electric mixer)

porringer (a shallow metal bowl (usually with a handle))

punch bowl (a large bowl for serving beverages; usually with a ladle)

salad bowl (a large bowl for mixing and serving a salad)

slop basin; slop bowl (a bowl into which the dregs of teacups and coffee cups are emptied at the table)

soup bowl (a bowl for serving soup)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The quantity contained in a bowl

Classified under:

Nouns denoting quantities and units of measure

Synonyms:

bowl; bowlful

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

containerful (the quantity that a container will hold)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A large structure for open-air sports or entertainments

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

arena; bowl; sports stadium; stadium

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

construction; structure (a thing constructed; a complex entity constructed of many parts)

Meronyms (parts of "bowl"):

standing room (room for passengers or spectators to stand)

athletic field; field; playing area; playing field (a piece of land prepared for playing a game)

tiered seat (seating that is arranged in sloping tiers so that spectators in the back can see over the heads of those in front)

stand (tiered seats consisting of a structure (often made of wood) where people can sit to watch an event (game or parade))

field house (an athletic facility where athletes prepare for sport)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bowl"):

amphitheater; amphitheatre; coliseum (an oval large stadium with tiers of seats; an arena in which contests and spectacles are held)

ballpark; park (a facility in which ball games are played (especially baseball games))

bullring (a stadium where bullfights take place)

circus ((antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games)

covered stadium; dome; domed stadium (a stadium that has a roof)

football stadium (a stadium where football games are held)

hippodrome (a stadium for horse shows or horse races)

skybox (an elevated box for viewing events at a sports stadium)

Sense 6

Meaning:

A large ball with finger holes used in the sport of bowling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bowl; bowling ball

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

ball (round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games)

Meronyms (parts of "bowl"):

thumbhole (a finger hole made to fit the thumb (as in a bowling ball))

finger hole (a hole for inserting a finger)

Holonyms ("bowl" is a part of...):

bowling equipment (equipment used in bowling)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

ball (round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games)

Holonyms ("bowl" is a part of...):

bowls; lawn bowling (a bowling game played on a level lawn with biased wooden balls that are rolled at a jack)

Derivation:

bowl (engage in the sport of bowling)

bowl (roll (a ball))

Sense 8

Meaning:

A small round container that is open at the top for holding tobacco

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

bowl; pipe bowl

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

container (any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another))

Holonyms ("bowl" is a part of...):

pipe; tobacco pipe (a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco)

Sense 9

Meaning:

The act of rolling something (as the ball in bowling)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bowl; roll

Hypernyms ("bowl" is a kind of...):

actuation; propulsion (the act of propelling)

Holonyms ("bowl" is a part of...):

bowling (the playing of a game of tenpins or duckpins etc)

• BOWL (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they bowl    ... he / she / it bowls   
Past simple: bowled   
Past participle: bowled   
-ing form: bowling   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Roll (a ball)

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "bowl" is one way to...):

roll; wheel (move along on or as if on wheels or a wheeled vehicle)

Domain category:

bowling (the playing of a game of tenpins or duckpins etc)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

bowl (a wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling)

bowler (a player who rolls balls down an alley at pins)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the batsman at the other end

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "bowl" is one way to...):

cast; hurl; hurtle (throw forcefully)

Domain category:

cricket (a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players; teams take turns trying to score runs)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Engage in the sport of bowling

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Context example:

My parents like to bowl on Friday nights

Hypernyms (to "bowl" is one way to...):

play (participate in games or sport)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bowl"):

skittle (play skittles)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

bowl (a wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling)

bowler (a player who rolls balls down an alley at pins)

 Context examples 

Miss Lydia is going to be married; and you shall all have a bowl of punch to make merry at her wedding.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

A tube with a small bowl at one end, especially one used for smoking tobacco.

(Pipe, NCI Thesaurus)

“Jack ashore, you know. It's not them I mind; it's the round-shot. Carpet bowls! My lady's maid couldn't miss. Tell us, squire, when you see the match, and we'll hold water.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The smoke from the heated tobacco is cooled by passing it through a water-filled bowl.

(Hookah, NCI Dictionary)

It is used primarily as a space deodorant in products such as room deodorizers, urinal and toilet bowl blocks, and as an insecticide fumigant for moth control.

(Paradichlorobenzene, NCI Thesaurus)

Once, too, his trembling hands could not hold the bowl, and it fell to the ground and broke.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

These include eating foods rich in calcium and vitamin D and doing weight-bearing exercise such as walking, bowling or dancing.

(Bone Density, NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

The light from this cluster carves out a bowl in the nearby dust clouds, seen in the imageas green fluff.

(A Space Spider Watches Over Young Stars, NASA)

A question about moderate activities such as moving a table, pushing a vacuum cleaner, bowling, or playing golf.

(Moderate Activities Such As Moving a Table, Pushing a Vacuum Cleaner, Bowling, or Playing Golf, NCI Thesaurus)

He was oppressed throughout the meal by the thought of finger-bowls.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)