bowl

1 of 3

noun (1)

plural bowls
1
: a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel : a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup
a soup bowl
a set of mixing bowls
specifically : a drinking vessel (as for wine)
2
: the contents of a bowl
ate a bowl of rice
3
: a bowl-shaped or concave part: such as
a
: the hollow of a spoon or tobacco pipe
b
: the receptacle of a toilet
cleaning toilet bowls
4
a
: a natural formation or geographical region shaped like a bowl
b
: a bowl-shaped structure
especially : an athletic stadium
5
football : a postseason game between specially invited teams
college bowl games
bowled adjective
bowlful noun

bowl

2 of 3

noun (2)

plural bowls
1
a
: a ball that is used in lawn bowling and that is shaped with a bias (see bias entry 1 sense 3a) so that it swerves when rolled

Note: Bowls were formerly made of lignum vitae with weights added to produce a bias, but are now composed of hard, dense plastic.

b
bowls plural in form but singular in construction : lawn bowling
playing bowls
2
: a delivery of the ball in the game of bowling
3
: a cylindrical roller or drum (as for a machine)

bowl

3 of 3

verb

bowled; bowling; bowls

intransitive verb

1
a
: to participate in a game of bowling
bowls every Thursday night
b
: to roll a ball in bowling
your turn to bowl
2
: to travel smoothly and rapidly (as in a wheeled vehicle)

transitive verb

1
a
: to roll (a ball) in bowling
b(1)
: to complete by bowling
bowl a spare
(2)
: to score by bowling
bowls 150
2
: to strike with a swiftly moving object
being bowled over by a base runner

Examples of bowl in a Sentence

Verb I don't think I can bowl a 12-pound ball. We bowl every Thursday night. Do you like to bowl? I haven't bowled since I was a kid. She usually bowls around 150.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The restaurant offers appetizers and rice bowls, too. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2024 Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwavable bowl on HIGH until melted and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring at 30-second intervals. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 Founded in La Jolla in 2017, the café serves vegan and gluten-free menu items and menu specialties include toasts, breakfast and lunch bowls, salads, soups and more. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 Pregame vibes fill Charlotte’s Spectrum Center 11:50 a.m.: The upper bowl filling out nicely for the game vs. the MSUs. Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Mar. 2024 The dry version comes with a fortifying bowl of chicken and pork bone broth that smacks of roasted garlic. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Drain and transfer the eggs to a large bowl of ice water. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024 One highlight: a speakeasy behind a toilet bowl display called Tate Dining Room and Lockdown. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024 Stir together black vinegar, sesame paste, peanut butter and sugar in a small bowl until smooth. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024
Verb
Jonas was joined by his brothers Nick, 31, and Kevin, 36, for the outing, marking their second game of lawn bowling at the venue in the past week. Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Benedicts, hearty skillet bowls with eggs and crispy breakfast potatoes, and steak-and-eggs recall classic diner fare with a more fashionable presentation. Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2024 Boys bowling Oak Hills 2904, West Clermont 2897 Leaders: Iles (OH) 503, Goewey (WC) 491. Alex Harrison, The Enquirer, 23 Jan. 2024 The Centre Pompidou, Paris’ inside-out architectural marvel that’s home to the city’s prestigious modern and contemporary art museum, has bowled me over on every visit. Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 31 Dec. 2023 Arrange croissants, and add egg mixture: Add egg mixture and 1 cup of the cheese to bowl with onion mixture, and stir to combine. Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 11 Nov. 2023 Mookie Betts bowls during the 50/50 Foundation charity bowling event at Lucky Strike LA Live in Los Angeles on Feb. 3.Mat Hayward / Getty Images for Mookie Betts 5050 Foundation The 31-year-old says some of his baseball success can be traced to time spent in bowling alleys. Morgan Chesky, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2024 In trying to display his everyman side, Bush went bowling — and took a tumble in the lanes. Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2024 Saban worked as Bill Belichick’s defensive coordinator with the Cleveland Browns for four seasons before becoming the first Michigan State coach to lead his first three teams to bowl games. John Zenor, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024

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

Noun (1)

Middle English bolle, from Old English bolla; akin to Old High German bolla blister

Noun (2) and Verb

Middle English boule, from Middle French, from Latin bulla bubble

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowl was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bowl

Cite this Entry

“Bowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowl. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bowl

1 of 3 noun
1
: a rounded dish generally deeper than a basin and larger than a cup
2
: the contents of a bowl
3
: the bowl-shaped part of something (as a spoon)
4
a
: a rounded valley or geographical region
the dust bowl
b
: a bowl-shaped stadium or theater
5
bowled adjective

bowl

2 of 3 noun
1
a
: a ball shaped to roll in a curved path for use in lawn bowling
b
plural : lawn bowling
2
: a cast of the ball in bowling or bowls

bowl

3 of 3 verb
1
: to roll a ball in bowling or bowls
2
: to move smoothly and rapidly
Etymology

Noun

Old English bolla "bowl"

Noun

Middle English boule "a weighted ball," from early French boule (same meaning), from Latin bulla "bubble" — related to boil entry 2

More from Merriam-Webster on bowl

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