stow

verb

ˈstō 

stowed; stowing; stows

transitive verb

1

: house, lodge

2

a

: to put away for future use : store

b

obsolete : to lock up for safekeeping : confine

3

a

: to dispose in an orderly fashion : arrange, pack

b

: load

4

slang : to put aside : stop

5

a

archaic : crowd

b

: to eat or drink up

—usually used with away

stowed away a huge dinner

Synonyms

• store
• keep

Examples of stow in a Sentence

He stowed his gear in a locker.

Luggage may be stowed under the seat.

Recent Examples on the Web

Perseverance has taken a sample of the rock, stowing it away in a protective canister for a future mission to pick up and return to Earth. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 1 Oct. 2025

The Guardians plan to stow Fry’s jersey in their dugout throughout the postseason. —Zack Meisel, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025

Controlling the entertainment is undertaken via the top of the unit or by pushing buttons on the remote, which can be stowed in a top compartment together with two wireless microphones that cater for karaoke sessions. —New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025

The jeans still have two front pockets and two back pockets to stow your phone or other small items at the airport and beyond. —Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to place, from stowe place, from Old English stōw; akin to Old Frisian stō place, Greek stylos pillar — more at steer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stow

• stow away

Rhymes for stow

• beau
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

stow

verb

ˈstō 

1

: to put away : store

stowed their belongings in the closet

2

a

: arrange sense 1, pack

quickly stowed the cargo

b

: load entry 2 sense 1a

stowed the ships to capacity

3

: to eat or drink up

stow away a meal

Geographical Definition

Stow

geographical name

ˈstō 

city in northeastern Ohio northeast of Akron population 34,837

Biographical Definition

Stow

biographical name

ˈstō 

John 1525–1605 English historian and antiquarian