bower1
/ˈbaʊə
/noun
1A pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants in a garden or wood.Entering the shady bower of the trees, Jerica sped down the path, pushing all thoughts of dreams and golden eyes away as she exercised....
- The evocation of a mythic landscape recalls elements of a child's tree house and the bower in Milton's Paradise Lost.
- The party dashed beneath the bowers of the first trees and all of them collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily.
1.1 literary A summer house or country cottage.That illusion was quickly dispelled, and Bella had retreated into her own bower, leaving Elanor to grow up along separate lines....
- Their laughter and verve has made the stale hall a vibrant bower and even the air conditioning plant is cooler.
- Hark, what noise is that sounding in our bower of delight?
1.2 literary A woman’s private room or bedroom.
Synonyms
boudoir, bedchamber, chamber, bedroom, dressing room, room
verb [with object] literary
Shade or enclose (a place or person): (as adjective bowered) the bowered pathways into the tangle of vines...
- The scenery was a pleasant diversion from Sister Blanda's conversation: a succession of tidy olive-groves and villas bowered in cypress.
- Meanwhile, his body lay in an open coffin bowered in flowers in the Paris house.
- One of the beauties of Sintra, though, is that you can escape the crowds, literally within a minute, by veering off on one of the bowered paths leading up the Serra.
Origin
Old English būr 'dwelling, inner room', of Germanic origin; related to German Bauer 'birdcage'.
Rhymes
bower2
/ˈbaʊə/(also bower anchor)
noun
Each of two anchors carried at a ship’s bow, formerly distinguished as the best bower (starboard) or small bower (port).The small bower anchor was also used for anchoring the Victory in deep waters....
- Then came the best bower and the small bower (so called from being carried on the bows).
- The remaining four were bower anchors mounted on bulwarks in the bow for use.
Origin
Late 15th century: from bow3 + -er1.