row

1 of 6

verb (1)

ˈrō 

rowed; rowing; rows

intransitive verb

1

: to propel a boat by means of oars

2

: to move by or as if by the propulsion of oars

transitive verb

1

a

: to propel with or as if with oars

b(1)

: to participate in (a rowing match)

(2)

: to compete against in rowing

(3)

: to pull (an oar) in a crew

2

: to transport in an oar-propelled boat

rower

ˈrō-ər 

noun

row

2 of 6

noun (1)

ˈrō 

: an act or instance of rowing

row

3 of 6

noun (2)

ˈrō 

1

: a number of objects arranged in a usually straight line

a row of bottles

also : the line along which such objects are arranged

planted the corn in parallel rows

2

a

: way, street

b

: a street or area dominated by a specific kind of enterprise or occupancy

doctors' row

3

: twelve-tone row

4

a

: a continuous strip usually running horizontally or parallel to a baseline

b

: a horizontal arrangement of items

row

4 of 6

verb (2)

ˈrō 

rowed; rowing; rows

transitive verb

: to form into rows

row

5 of 6

noun (3)

ˈrau̇ 

: a noisy disturbance or quarrel

row

6 of 6

verb (3)

ˈrau̇ 

rowed; rowing; rows

intransitive verb

: to engage in a row : have a quarrel

Phrases

in a row

: one after another : successively

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• oar
• paddle
• scull

Noun (2)

• bank
• rank

Noun (3)

• affray [chiefly British]
• brawl
• broil
• donnybrook
• fracas
• fray
• free-for-all
• melee
• mêlée
• rough-and-tumble
• ruckus
• ruction

Verb (3)

• altercate
• argue
• argufy
• bicker
• brabble
• brawl
• controvert
• dispute
• fall out
• fight
• hassle
• jar
• quarrel
• quibble
• scrap
• spat
• squabble
• tiff
• wrangle

Examples of row in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Image Image One recent morning, Mr. Yilmaz rowed into the lake and pulled up his net, dropping small fish into the boat. —Safak Timur Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

In fact, rowing engages 86 percent of muscles, an English Institute of Sport study found. —Stephanie Kanowitz, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

Lambert rowed Simmons' third great grandmother, Caroline Quarlls (Watkins), across the Detroit River in October 1843 after her escape to freedom from St. Louis, Missouri. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 22 Mar. 2024

But learning to row was just the first challenge, as capturing those racing scenes on camera presented new obstacles. —Caroline Brew, Variety, 12 Dec. 2023

Turner plays Joe Rantz, a Depression-era outsider who discovers joining the rowing team in college will assure him of job and housing. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Oct. 2023

All-encompassing luxury among the remaining manual luxury cars tends not to be the highest priority, and instead driving dynamics and power, for the hardcore buyers who still want to row their own in a modern car. —Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 1 Mar. 2024

Another is that rowing on the water has its limitations: weather, convenience and price, for instance. —Stephanie Kanowitz, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024

The starting point is an abstract representation of a canoe, which, since the earliest Samoans rowed to shore from other islands, signals the start of Samoan society. —Brian T. Allen, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024

Noun

Ryan Haffner, the owner of High Plains Agriculture, is one of the Kansas farmers who uses the H-2A visa program to harvest row crops. —Daniel Desrochers, Kansas City Star, 9 Apr. 2024

For the second year in a row, the awards will be streamed live from from Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, with a date set for May 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 PT. —Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

Brothers Osborne is nominated for duo of the year for the 10th year in a row. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024

Radiating away from the circle are rows of stones that reach to the west, south, and east, while an extended double row stretches even further to the north, creating a kind of avenue leading into the center. —Dan Falk, Discover Magazine, 6 Apr. 2024

Made in America, the Labor Day festival founded by Jay-Z in Philadelphia that added a downtown L.A. satellite in 2014, canceled for the second year in a row. —Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

One was shot along a row of restaurants frequented by students; the other, a visiting educator from Kentucky, was shot on the campus in what police said might have been a robbery attempt. —Emily Davies, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

Radio For the seventh year in a row, all games will be broadcast on the Padres’ flagship radio station 97.3 FM. —Carlos Rico, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2024

This is the second year in a row that an XR experience did not take the immersive festival’s grand prize. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English rōwan; akin to Middle High German rüejen to row, Latin remus oar

Noun (2)

Middle English rawe; akin to Old English rǣw row, Old High German rīga line, and perhaps to Sanskrit rikhati he scratches

Noun (3)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb (1)

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

Noun (1)

1767, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1582, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1746, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1797, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing row

• a tough/hard row to hoe
• get one's ducks in a row
• skid row
• on skid row
• row house
• row upon row
• one's ducks in a row
• tone row
• death row
• twelve-tone row
• inter-row
• in a row
• put one's ducks in a row
• have one's ducks in a row

Kids Definition

row

1 of 5 verb

ˈrō 

1

: to move a boat by means of oars

2

: to travel or carry in a rowboat

3

: to pull an oar in a crew

rower

ˈrō(-ə)r 

noun

row

2 of 5 noun

: an act or instance of rowing

row

3 of 5 noun

1

a

: a series of persons or things arranged in a usually straight line

especially : a horizontal arrangement of items

b

: the line along which such objects are arranged

planted the corn in parallel rows

2

: way entry 1 sense 1a, street

row

4 of 5 noun

ˈrau̇

: a noisy disturbance or quarrel

row

5 of 5 verb

ˈrau̇ 

: to have a row : fight, quarrel

Etymology

Verb

Old English rōwan "to propel a boat with oars"

Noun

Middle English rawe "a number of objects arranged in a line"

Noun

origin unknown