bowl

bowl

bowl¹ [bōl]

n.

[ME bolle < OE bolla, cup, bowl < IE base * bhel-, to swell, inflate (see BALL¹); infl. in OE by L bulla, bubble, ball]

1. a deep, rounded container or dish, open at the top

2. the capacity or contents of a bowl

3. a thing or part shaped like a bowl; specif.,

a) the rounded or hollow part of a spoon or smoking pipe: see PIPE

b) WASHBOWL

c) the basin of a toilet

d) a hollow land formation

☆ 4.

a) an amphitheater or stadium

b) any of various football games played annually after the regular season between teams selected for their superior records: in full bowl game

5. Archaic a large drinking vessel

bowllike

adj.

bowl² [bōl]

n.

[ME & OFr boule < L bulla, bubble, knob: see BOIL¹]

1. the wooden ball rolled at the target ball, or jack, in the game of lawn bowling: it is weighted or shaped to give it a bias when rolling

2. a roll of the ball in bowling or lawn bowling

3. a roller, drum, or wheel, as in some machines

vi.

1. to participate or take a turn in bowling or lawn bowling

2. to roll a ball with an underhand motion, as in bowling or lawn bowling

3. to move swiftly and smoothly [the car bowled steadily along]

4. Cricket to throw a ball to the batsman

vt.

1. to throw so as to make roll; roll

2. to make a score of in bowling [to bowl 180]

3. to cause to move along swiftly and smoothly, as on wheels

4. Cricket to put (a batsman out) by bowling the balls off the wicket

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bowl over

1. to knock over with or as with something rolled

2. Informal to astonish and confuse; stagger [the election results bowled them over]