stowaway

1 of 2

noun

stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
: one that stows away

stow away

2 of 2

verb

stowed away; stowing away; stows away

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
The rodent apparently was a stowaway, assuming that there’s no record of that mouse having bought a ticket for that specific flight. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024 Ada Bunting is a bold sixteen-year-old from Barbados who arrives in Panama as a stowaway alongside thousands of other West Indians seeking work. Sarah Yang, Sunset Magazine, 15 Sep. 2024
Verb
This quick-dry camp towel weighs just 2.4 ounces and stows away in a stuff sack that fits in my pocket. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 25 Sep. 2024 The liver and kidneys then convert stowed away vitamin D into the active form that the body requires when necessary. Ranyechi Udemezue, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for stowaway 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stowaway.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stowaway was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near stowaway

stowage

stowaway

stow away

Cite this Entry

“Stowaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stowaway. Accessed 7 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

stowaway

1 of 2 noun
stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
: one who stows away : an unregistered passenger

stow away

2 of 2 verb
ˌstō-ə-ˈwā
: to hide aboard a vehicle to obtain transportation

More from Merriam-Webster on stowaway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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