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 of stow

• 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

Don’t be fooled by its petite, easy-to-carry silhouette, though, because the bag boasts plenty of space to stow your essentials and beyond. —Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 Feb. 2026

As will a gear closet for the residents to stow their skis and bikes. —Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2026

This allows families to add captain’s chairs or keep the bench as needed, move the third row passthrough to one side or the other, and best of all, the middle seat can be stowed in the under-floor storage space behind the third row. —Scotty Reiss, Parents, 24 Feb. 2026

There is one product, however, that is beneficial to have stowed under the sink for times when an organic remedy isn’t an option. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 24 Feb. 2026

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