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stowaway

noun
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stow·​away | \ ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio) \

Definition of stowaway

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: one that stows away

stow away

verb
stowed away; stowing away; stows away

Definition of stow away (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to secrete oneself aboard a vehicle as a means of obtaining transportation

Examples of stowaway in a Sentence

Noun A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Hunter speculates that crinoid rafts could have ferried additional stowaways including plants, bryozoans and crustaceans. — Raleigh Mcelvery, Smithsonian, "Ancient Sea Life May Have Hitched Across Oceans on Giant Living Rafts," 12 Aug. 2019 Prior stowaway incidents have prompted questions about security at airports. — Washington Post, "Stowaway falls from Kenya Airways flight, is found dead in London backyard," 1 July 2019 Green crabs arrived in the Western Hemisphere in the early 1800s, stowaways on ships. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, "Cracking the secret of green crabs," 6 Aug. 2019 In 2015, the body of a stowaway on a British Airways flight from Johannesburg to Heathrow landed on a shop in Richmond, southwest London. — Reuters, The Mercury News, "Body falls from plane, lands next to man sunbathing in his yard," 2 July 2019 When leafy greens were largely transported in cardboard cartons, a stowaway could make a stealthy escape. — Laura Reiley, Washington Post, "The other greens in your bagged lettuce: Frogs, snakes and lizards," 27 July 2019 When leafy greens were largely transported in cardboard cartons, a stowaway could make a stealthy escape. — The Washington Post, oregonlive.com, "The other greens in your bagged lettuce: frogs, snakes and lizards," 27 July 2019 An intensive 10-month search for a stowaway rat that invaded the rat-free seabird paradise of St. Paul Island has come to a happy end for everyone. — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, "A rat was found dead on St. Paul Island in the Bering Sea. Here’s why that’s a big deal.," 2 July 2019 Experts believe roughly three-quarters of stowaways do not survive because of the extreme cold and lack of oxygen as the plane reaches cruising altitude. — NBC News, "Body found in London garden is a stowaway who fell from Heathrow-bound plane," 1 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'stowaway.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of stowaway

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined above

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Time Traveler for stowaway

Time Traveler

The first known use of stowaway was in 1848

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Cite this Entry

“Stowaway.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stow%20away. Accessed 22 November 2019.

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More Definitions for stowaway

stowaway

noun
How to pronounce stow away (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of stowaway

: someone who hides on a ship, airplane, etc., in order to travel without paying or being seen

stowaway

noun
stow·​away | \ ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio) \

Kids Definition of stowaway

: a person who hides on a vehicle (as a ship) to travel without paying or being seen

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More from Merriam-Webster on stowaway

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for stowaway

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with stowaway

Spanish Central: Translation of stowaway

Nglish: Translation of stowaway for Spanish Speakers

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