bowl

1 of 3

noun (1)

plural bowls
1
: a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel : a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup
a soup bowl
a set of mixing bowls
specifically : a drinking vessel (as for wine)
2
: the contents of a bowl
ate a bowl of rice
3
: a bowl-shaped or concave part: such as
a
: the hollow of a spoon or tobacco pipe
b
: the receptacle of a toilet
cleaning toilet bowls
4
a
: a natural formation or geographical region shaped like a bowl
b
: a bowl-shaped structure
especially : an athletic stadium
5
football : a postseason game between specially invited teams
college bowl games
bowled adjective
bowlful noun

bowl

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural bowls
1
a
: a ball that is used in lawn bowling and that is shaped with a bias (see bias entry 1 sense 3a) so that it swerves when rolled

Note: Bowls were formerly made of lignum vitae with weights added to produce a bias, but are now composed of hard, dense plastic.

b
bowls plural in form but singular in construction : lawn bowling
playing bowls
2
: a delivery of the ball in the game of bowling
3
: a cylindrical roller or drum (as for a machine)

bowl

3 of 3

verb

bowled; bowling; bowls

intransitive verb

1
a
: to participate in a game of bowling
bowls every Thursday night
b
: to roll a ball in bowling
your turn to bowl
2
: to travel smoothly and rapidly (as in a wheeled vehicle)

transitive verb

1
a
: to roll (a ball) in bowling
b(1)
: to complete by bowling
bowl a spare
(2)
: to score by bowling
bowls 150
2
: to strike with a swiftly moving object
being bowled over by a base runner

Examples of bowl in a Sentence

Verb I don't think I can bowl a 12-pound ball. We bowl every Thursday night. Do you like to bowl? I haven't bowled since I was a kid. She usually bowls around 150.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Plum tomatoes, onions, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic harmonize to create a truly comforting flavor profile that’s right at home on your next bowl of pasta. Sara Coughlin, SELF, 13 Mar. 2024 Three shallow bowls: one with flour, another with beaten egg, the third with breadcrumbs. Yotam Ottolenghi, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The most popular chicken al pastor entrée in 2023 was a burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted corn salsa, cheese and guacamole. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 About 30 minutes south of Powder Mountain and an hour from Park City, 3,000-acre Snowbasin is the place for uncrowded, expansive terrain, wide-open bowls, and beautiful off-piste jaunts. Nina Kokotas Hahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2024 Microwave 1/4 cup light corn syrup in a small microwavable bowl on HIGH until warm, about 10 seconds. Pam Lolley, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Other items included in the spread are a mirror and a candle which represent light, gold coins for prosperity, eggs for fertility, a bowl of goldfish for life, and a sour orange in a bowl of water symbolizing planet Earth, explains event planner Lily Aroosi, a native of Iran. Ray Chavez, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024 Goldwyn also encouraged Biden to wind down after the speech with a big bowl of ice cream. Jackie Strause, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 Apple is now warning customers that placing their iPhones into a bowl or bag of rice might actually slow down the drying process and damage their phone's internal components. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 29 Feb. 2024
Verb
Jonas was joined by his brothers Nick, 31, and Kevin, 36, for the outing, marking their second game of lawn bowling at the venue in the past week. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Benedicts, hearty skillet bowls with eggs and crispy breakfast potatoes, and steak-and-eggs recall classic diner fare with a more fashionable presentation. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 Boys bowling Oak Hills 2904, West Clermont 2897 Leaders: Iles (OH) 503, Goewey (WC) 491. Alex Harrison, The Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2024 The Centre Pompidou, Paris’ inside-out architectural marvel that’s home to the city’s prestigious modern and contemporary art museum, has bowled me over on every visit. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023 Arrange croissants, and add egg mixture: Add egg mixture and 1 cup of the cheese to bowl with onion mixture, and stir to combine. Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2023 Mookie Betts bowls during the 50/50 Foundation charity bowling event at Lucky Strike LA Live in Los Angeles on Feb. 3.Mat Hayward / Getty Images for Mookie Betts 5050 Foundation The 31-year-old says some of his baseball success can be traced to time spent in bowling alleys. Morgan Chesky, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2024 In trying to display his everyman side, Bush went bowling — and took a tumble in the lanes. Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2024 Saban worked as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns for four seasons before becoming the first Michigan State coach to lead his first three teams to bowl games. John Zenor, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bowl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English bolle, from Old English bolla; akin to Old High German bolla blister

Noun (2) and Verb

Middle English boule, from Middle French, from Latin bulla bubble

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowl was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bowl

Cite this Entry

“Bowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowl. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bowl

1 of 3 noun
1
: a rounded dish generally deeper than a basin and larger than a cup
2
: the contents of a bowl
3
: the bowl-shaped part of something (as a spoon)
4
a
: a rounded valley or geographical region
the dust bowl
b
: a bowl-shaped stadium or theater
5
bowled adjective

bowl

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a ball shaped to roll in a curved path for use in lawn bowling
b
plural : lawn bowling
2
: a cast of the ball in bowling or bowls

bowl

3 of 3 verb
1
: to roll a ball in bowling or bowls
2
: to move smoothly and rapidly
Etymology

Noun

Old English bolla "bowl"

Noun

Middle English boule "a weighted ball," from early French boule (same meaning), from Latin bulla "bubble" — related to boil entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on bowl

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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