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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
What's next: The winners will go on to play the four conference champions in the quarterfinals in the New Year's Six bowl games. Ross Terrell, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024 Transfer the apples from the pan (don’t wash the pan) into a bowl. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
The animators spin gold out of a silly concept, particularly in drawing his bad breath: Turning it into a bowling ball and knocking out a crowd with it is nothing short of genius. Barry Levitt, Vulture, 27 Aug. 2024 Players attended a Dodgers game, went bowling and hung out at the beach in addition to having multiple team dinners. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bowl 

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 13 Nov. 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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