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
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
2
: a delivery of the ball in the game of bowling
3
: a cylindrical roller or drum (as for a machine)
bowled; bowling; bowls
1
2
: to travel smoothly and rapidly (as in a wheeled vehicle)
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
Noun (1)
a new bowl for the football team
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
Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
Let the bowl sit inside the microwave for a few minutes and allow the steam to soften any debris.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Paul Newman, New York Times, 30 June 2025
England needs 350 runs in 90 overs to secure a win, while India will be aiming to bowl them out and seal the series.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bowl
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Whip up desserts as large as a decadent cake, or as small as a single batch of cookies, in these multi-size bowls.
—Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 June 2025
Let the bowl sit inside the microwave for a few minutes and allow the steam to soften any debris.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 27 June 2025
Verb
Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first on a hot, dry day, with conditions perfect for swinging the ball in the coming days, looked like madness.
—Paul Newman, New York Times, 30 June 2025
England needs 350 runs in 90 overs to secure a win, while India will be aiming to bowl them out and seal the series.
—Kilty Cleary, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for bowl
Cite this Entry
“Bowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowl. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bowl
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
bowl
2 of 3 noun1
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 verb1
: 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
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