prow

1 of 2

adjective

archaic

prow

2 of 2

noun

ˈprau̇ How to pronounce prow (audio)
 archaic  ˈprō
1
: the bow of a ship : stem
2
: a pointed projecting front part

Examples of prow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Flatiron Building, whose prow has nosed up Broadway across 23rd Street since its completion in 1902, has housed its last office tenant and is going residential, The Real Deal first reported this morning. Curbed, 26 Oct. 2023 My room, modeled on a Parisian atelier, featured the prow of an early-20th-century boat jutting from one wall. Gary Shteyngart, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Aug. 2023 Whenever the beach goes underwater and the waves move in, this corner building looks like the prow of a ship lost at sea. Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2023 Aircraft carriers, and most other ships, also have sharp prows, the front part of a ship above the waterline. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023 The post tells a story in two pictures: the first shows a sharply curved aircraft carrier prow that narrows to a knifelike point, which to some implies the entire bottom of the ship is knifelike. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 14 Aug. 2023 Hurtig, a lanky forward with a prow of bright-blond hair, loped toward the ball and sent a low, hard shot. Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Aug. 2023 Bezos' boat, named Koru, which symbolizes new beginnings, notably has a wooden sculpture that resembles his fiancée on the prow. Charlotte Triggs, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2023 The researchers note that its heavy prow and stern may not have fared well in fast currents, suggesting that it may have been created for ritual purposes rather than practical ones. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prow.' 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

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French pru, prou — more at proud

Noun

Middle French proue, probably from Old Italian dialect prua, from Latin prora, from Greek prōira

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prow was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near prow

Cite this Entry

“Prow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prow. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

prow

noun
ˈprau̇
: the bow of a ship

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