/ bəʊl; NAmE boʊl/ noun , verb
■ noun
CONTAINER
1.
[ C ] (especially in compounds) a deep round dish with a wide open top, used especially for holding food or liquid :
a salad / fruit / sugar, etc. bowl
a washing-up bowl
AMOUNT
2.
[ C ] (also bowl·ful / -fʊl; NAmE /) the amount contained in a bowl :
a bowl of soup
SHAPE
3.
[ C ] the part of some objects that is shaped like a bowl :
the bowl of a spoon
a toilet / lavatory bowl
—picture at dessertspoon
THEATRE
4.
[ C ] ( especially NAmE ) (in names) a large round theatre without a roof, used for concerts, etc. outdoors :
the Hollywood Bowl
BALL
5.
[ C ] a heavy wooden ball that is used in the games of bowls and bowling
GAME
6.
bowls [ U ] ( NAmE also ˈlawn bowling ) a game played on an area of very smooth grass, in which players take turns to roll bowls as near as possible to a small ball
FOOTBALL GAME
7.
[ C ] ( NAmE ) (in names) a game of American football played after the main season between the best teams :
the Super Bowl
■ verb
ROLL BALL
1.
[ v , vn ] to roll a ball in the games of bowls and
bowling
IN CRICKET
2.
[ v , vn ] to throw a ball to the batsman (= the person who hits the ball)
➡ note at throw
3.
[ vn ] bowl sb (out) to make the batsman have to leave the field by throwing a ball that hits the wicket
MOVE QUICKLY
4.
[ v + adv. / prep. ] ( BrE ) to move quickly in a particular direction, especially in a vehicle :
Soon we were bowling along the country roads.
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- bowl sb over
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 1 to 4 and noun sense 7 Old English bolle , bolla , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bol round object, also to boll .
noun senses 5 to 6 and verb late Middle English (in the general sense ball ): from Old French boule , from Latin bulla bubble.