adverb
1. : in the state of being towed (as by a towline or towboat)
passed a wrecker with a station wagon in tow
2.
a. : under guidance or protection
glad enough in such circumstances to be taken in tow by a friendly native
b. : in the character or position of a dependent, devoted, or subservient follower or admirer
came round to see her with his latest protégé in tow
kept him in tow … nearly six months — Dorothy Sayers
a Navy officer passed with a good-looking girl in tow — Martin Dibner