1
: a rope used to keep the weather edge of a square sail taut forward
2
: a knot used to form a loop that neither slips nor jams see knot illustration
Examples of bowline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Another popular online figure who works outdoors is Adam Perry, a tree trimmer in England, who has racked up 245,000 followers on Instagram by posting videos of himself scaling trees with a chain saw and tying knots with names like double Portuguese bowline and clove hitch.
—
Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
So throw off the bowlines.
—Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 10 Apr. 2023
Sailors are familiar with the clove hitch, bowline and cleat hitch.
—Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2017
One of the most common knots, and handiest, is a bowline.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 9 July 2021
Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2023
So throw off the bowlines.
—Jill Gleeson, Country Living, 10 Apr. 2023
Sailors are familiar with the clove hitch, bowline and cleat hitch.
—Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 11 Apr. 2017
One of the most common knots, and handiest, is a bowline.
—John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 9 July 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bowline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bowline
Cite this Entry
“Bowline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowline. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bowline
noun
bow·line
ˈbō-lən 
-ˌlīn
1
: a rope used to keep the edge of a sail pulled forward
2
: a knot used for making a loop that will not slip or get stuck
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