bowls
bowls — noun
1. a round, open-top dish that is wider than it is deep, used for holding food, liq
a round, open-top dish that is wider than it is deep, used for holding food, liquid, or other things
Lucía filled a large bowl with fresh fruit for the breakfast table.
collocation: fill a bowl with [something]
The chef poured the soup into two small bowls and added a sprinkle of herbs.
collocation: pour [something] into a bowl
Adaeze mixed the flour and eggs together in a ceramic bowl.
A clean bowl sat on the counter, waiting for the cake batter.
- fill a bowl
- a bowl of soup
- mix in a bowl
- ceramic bowl
- wooden bowl
Usage Note
Commonly used with materials such as 'ceramic', 'glass', 'wooden', 'plastic', or 'metal' to describe the type of bowl.
Common Mistakes
2. the amount that a bowl can hold, or the food or liquid contained in a bowl
the amount that a bowl can hold, or the food or liquid contained in a bowl
Noor ate two bowls of rice with the curry for dinner.
pattern: [number] bowls of [food]
The recipe calls for one bowl of warm water and two bowls of flour.
Indra offered his guests a bowl of fresh cherries from the garden.
Each child received a bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.
collocation: a bowl of ice cream
- a bowl of soup
- a bowl of rice
- two bowls of
- bowls of cereal
Grammar Patterns
a bowl of [something]
Usage Note
Used as a measure: 'a bowl of soup / rice / cereal / fruit'. The actual size of the bowl varies by context.
3. the concave, bowl-shaped part of an object, such as the hollow area of a spoon,
the concave, bowl-shaped part of an object, such as the hollow area of a spoon, a pipe, or a toilet
The bowl of the spoon was deep enough to hold a full mouthful of soup.
phrase: the bowl of the spoon
Bao cleaned the bowl of the toilet with a brush and some bleach.
The tobacco pipe had a small bowl that could hold only a pinch of leaves.
phrase: the bowl of a pipe
The metal scoop had a shallow bowl that made it easy to measure sugar.
- bowl of the spoon
- bowl of the pipe
- toilet bowl
Usage Note
Almost always used with 'of': 'the bowl of the spoon / pipe / toilet'. This sense is structurally dependent on the object it names.
4. a natural land formation shaped like a large bowl, such as a valley surrounded b
a natural land formation shaped like a large bowl, such as a valley surrounded by higher ground, or a lake basin
The small town sat in a green bowl formed by the surrounding hills.
collocation: a bowl formed by hills / mountains
Hikers reached the ridge and looked down into a rocky bowl below.
The ancient lake left behind a dry bowl of cracked earth and salt.
Dust from the cliffs collected in a natural bowl at the base of the canyon.
phrase: natural bowl
- natural bowl
- bowl valley
- dust bowl
- rocky bowl
Usage Note
Often used in geographic descriptions: 'a bowl valley', 'the lake's bowl', 'a dust bowl' (a dry region with loose soil).
5. a major postseason college football competition in the United States, usually pl
a major postseason college football competition in the United States, usually played in December or January between invited teams
The Rose Bowl is one of the oldest college football games in the United States.
proper noun: Rose Bowl
Eitan's family gathered every New Year's Day to watch the bowl games on television.
collocation: bowl games
The team celebrated after receiving an invitation to play in a major bowl.
Charlotte watched the Sugar Bowl with her roommates at a crowded sports bar.
- bowl game
- bowl match
- play in a bowl
- bowl invitation
- championship
a broader term for any competition to decide a winner
- tournament
a series of games, not a single game
Usage Note
This sense is almost exclusively American English. The name comes from the original stadium, the Rose Bowl, which is shaped like a bowl. Other bowl games include the Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Cotton Bowl.
6. a game played on a smooth grass or artificial surface, in which players roll lar
a game played on a smooth grass or artificial surface, in which players roll large biased balls toward a smaller white target ball called the jack
Iris played bowls every Saturday afternoon at the local lawn club with her grandfather.
collocation: play bowls
The bowls tournament attracted teams from all over the county to compete.
In bowls, the ball curves because one side is slightly heavier than the other.
phrase: the game of bowls
Hugo learned to play bowls during his summer holiday in the English countryside.
- play bowls
- game of bowls
- bowls club
- bowls tournament
- lawn bowls
- lawn bowling
more common in American English for the same game
- bowling on the green
formal name used in some Commonwealth countries
Usage Note
Used without an article: 'play bowls'. Not to be confused with tenpin bowling, which uses a different ball and lane. This game is also called 'lawn bowling' in North America.
Common Mistakes
7. a large ball used in the game of bowls, made with a bias that causes it to trave
a large ball used in the game of bowls, made with a bias that causes it to travel in a curved path rather than a straight line when rolled
Daichi chose a heavier bowl from the set and tested its curve on the grass.
collocation: choose a bowl / test a bowl
The wooden bowls are painted with coloured stripes so players can tell them apart.
Each bowl has a flat side that makes it turn while crossing the lawn.
Heloísa polished her bowls after every match to keep them in good condition.
collocation: a set of bowls
- set of bowls
- wooden bowls
- biased bowl
- throw a bowl
- roll a bowl
- bowling ball
general term; in tenpin bowling the ball is round and has no bias
Usage Note
Usually used in the plural ('bowls') to refer to the set of balls, or in the singular ('a bowl') when referring to one ball. Not to be confused with the container 'bowl' (noun sense 1).
8. a single act of throwing or rolling the ball in a game of bowling or bowls
a single act of throwing or rolling the ball in a game of bowling or bowls
Sade's first bowl knocked down eight pins, leaving a spare within reach.
With a steady hand, Selim delivered a perfect bowl that curved beside the jack.
collocation: deliver a bowl
The crowd cheered after each successful bowl in the championship match.
Lakan's final bowl scored a strike and won the game for his team.
- deliver a bowl
- first bowl
- final bowl
- perfect bowl
Usage Note
In lawn bowling, a 'bowl' (the delivery) is distinct from a 'bowl' (the ball). Context usually makes the meaning clear.
bowls — verb
- bowlspresent simple I / you / we / they
- bowlses3rd person singular
- bowlsing-ing form
- bowlsedpast simple
1. to play bowling as a sport, whether tenpin at an indoor centre or lawn bowls on
to play bowling as a sport, whether tenpin at an indoor centre or lawn bowls on a grass green
Ayesha bowls every Friday night with her friends at the local alley.
collocation: bowl with [someone]
The club members bowled twice a week on the village green during summer.
Nikos learned to bowl when he was eight years old at his cousin's birthday party.
Tanvi asked whether we wanted to go bowling or watch a movie on Saturday.
gerund form: go bowling
- go bowling
- bowl with friends
- bowl at the alley
- go bowling
the most common everyday phrase for the activity
Usage Note
The gerund form 'go bowling' is very common in everyday speech. When referring to the lawn game, 'play bowls' (noun) is more common than 'bowl' (verb).
2. to set a bowling ball in motion along a lane or green, aiming at pins or a targe
to set a bowling ball in motion along a lane or green, aiming at pins or a target jack
Hana bowled the ball straight down the lane and watched it hit the pins.
transitive: bowl + the ball
Reema bowled carefully, aiming the ball between the two front pins.
The player stepped up to the line and bowled with a smooth, practiced motion.
intransitive: bowl + adverbial
Yael bowled the heavy ball across the grass toward the small white jack.
pattern: bowl + across / towards
- bowl the ball
- bowl down the lane
- bowl across the green
- bowl towards
Grammar Patterns
bowl + object (ball)
bowl + preposition (down / along / across)
Usage Note
Can be used transitively ('bowl the ball') or intransitively ('he bowled well'). In cricket, 'bowl' has a different meaning (to throw the ball at the batsman).
3. to achieve a particular score or complete a frame in the game of bowling
to achieve a particular score or complete a frame in the game of bowling
Dewi bowled a strike in the final frame and won the match by ten points.
collocation: bowl a strike / spare
Omar bowled two spares in a row and brought his score up to 180.
Sari bowled a perfect score of 300 in the tournament last March.
collocation: bowl a perfect score
Abigail had never bowled more than 150 before that evening.
pattern: bowl + [number]
- bowl a strike
- bowl a spare
- bowl a perfect game
- bowl a score
Grammar Patterns
bowl + number (score)
Usage Note
This sense is usually used with a score or bowling term as the object: 'bowl a strike', 'bowl a spare', 'bowl a 200 game'.
4. to move at a smooth, steady pace, most often while travelling by car or bus
to move at a smooth, steady pace, most often while travelling by car or bus
The car bowled along the empty highway at a comfortable sixty miles per hour.
pattern: bowl along [road / highway]
Sofie's bicycle bowled down the gentle hill without her needing to pedal.
The old bus bowled through the countryside, past fields and small villages.
The children laughed as their wagon bowled over the smooth ground of the park.
- bowl along
- bowl down
- bowl through
- bowl over the ground
- jolt
the opposite of smooth movement
Grammar Patterns
bowl along / down / through
Usage Note
This is a somewhat old-fashioned or literary usage, most often found in British English. The verb is always followed by a direction adverb such as 'along', 'down', 'through', or 'over'.
5. to hit and knock someone or something over with a fast-moving object or person
to hit and knock someone or something over with a fast-moving object or person
A cyclist going too fast bowled over a pedestrian at the busy junction.
phrasal use: bowl over [someone]
A skateboarder lost control on the hill and bowled over a man walking his dog.
phrasal verb: bowl over [someone]
A strong gust of wind bowled over the garden furniture on the terrace.
The rugby player bowled his opponent to the ground with a hard tackle.
- bowl over
- bowl down
- bowl to the ground
- knock over
more common in everyday English
- run over
specifically by a vehicle
Grammar Patterns
bowl + someone + over / down
Usage Note
Almost always used with 'over' or 'down'. The figurative meaning ('bowl someone over' = greatly surprise or impress) is an extension of this sense.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
'Bowl', 'dish', 'plate', 'cup', and 'basin' all refer to containers used for food or liquid, but they differ in shape and function. A bowl is deep and round, ideal for holding soup, cereal, or mixed ingredients. A dish is a broader term that includes bowls, plates, and serving vessels; in everyday use, 'dish' often means a plate. A plate is flat with a raised edge, used for food that does not need a deep container, such as steak or salad. A cup is smaller than a bowl and designed for drinking hot beverages. A basin is much larger and used for washing or mixing large quantities. For example: 'She poured the soup into a bowl' (not a plate, because soup would spill); 'He washed the dishes, including plates, bowls, and cups' (dish as a general category).
Common collocations
Nouns
- soup bowl
- salad bowl
- fruit bowl
- sugar bowl
- mixing bowl
- toilet bowl
Phrases
- set of bowls
- bowl game
- bowl of rice
- bowl of soup
- play bowls
Prepositions
- in a bowl
- into a bowl
- out of a bowl
- bowl of
Etymology
The word 'bowl' (the container) comes from Old English 'bolla', meaning a round vessel or cup, which traces back to Proto-Germanic '*bullon-'. The game of 'bowls' gets its name from the ball (bowl) used to play it, which is round like the container. Over time, 'bowl' also came to refer to any bowl-shaped object or formation. The verb 'to bowl' comes from the game, referring to the action of rolling the ball. The American football 'bowl' games are named after the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, which is shaped like a bowl.
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun (2)