[bow.er] n [ME bour dwelling, fr. OE bur; akin to OE & OHG buan to dwell, OE beon to be--more at be] (bef. 12c) 1: an attractive dwelling or retreat
2: a lady's private apartment in a medieval hall or castle
3: a shelter (as in a garden) made with tree boughs or vines twined together: arbor -- bow.ery adj
[2]bower vt (1592): embower, enclose [3]bower n (1652): an anchor carried at the bow of a ship