noun
bower
BOW-uh
Bower (noun) means a shady shelter in a garden or wood, made from branches, vines, or leaves. Example: “They had tea in a little bower at the end of the garden.”
noun
1
A shady shelter in a garden or wood, made from branches, vines, or leaves.
"That night Tarzan built a snug little bower high among the swaying branches of a giant tree, and there the tired girl slept, while in a crotch beneath her the ape-man curled, ready, even in sleep, to protect her."
— Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan (1913)
"The branches met overhead in a kind of bower and the three cops stood in the shade and studied the roughcast gable of the cottage, maybe fifty yards on up the hill."
— Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic (2022)
"They had tea in a little bower at the end of the garden."
2
A structure built and decorated by a male bowerbird to attract a mate.
"The bowerbird decorated its bower with blue bottle caps."
How to use bower
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA shady garden shelter, or the decorated nest-like structure a male bowerbird builds to attract mates.
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Word forms
- Plural
- bowers
- Third person singular
- bowers
- Past tense
- bowered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They had tea in a little _____ at the end of the garden.
Etymology
From Old English bur, "dwelling" or "room," related to German Bauer, "birdcage."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for bower
See all rhymes for bower →Frequently asked questions
What does “bower” mean?
The word “bower” means a shady shelter in a garden or wood, made from branches, vines, or leaves. In plain terms, a shady garden shelter, or the decorated nest-like structure a male bowerbird builds to attract mates.
How do you pronounce “bower”?
“Bower” is pronounced BOW-uh (/ˈbaʊə(ɹ)/ in IPA).
How do you use “bower” in a sentence?
Here is “bower” used in a sentence: “They had tea in a little bower at the end of the garden.”
What is another word for “bower”?
Words with a similar meaning to “bower” include boudoir.
What part of speech is “bower”?
“Bower” is a noun.
Where does the word “bower” come from?
The word “bower” comes from Old English. From Old English bur, "dwelling" or "room," related to German Bauer, "birdcage.".
How many meanings does “bower” have?
“Bower” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a shady shelter in a garden or wood, made from branches, vines, or leaves.
