What does "bowl" mean?

1. (a container) a round, deep dish used for holding food or liquid. 2. (an amount) the amount of food or liquid that a bowl can hold. 3. (a stadium) a large stadium that is shaped like a bowl. 4. (a hollow part) the round, hollow part of something, like a pipe or a spoon. 5. (to throw a ball) to throw or roll a ball towards a target in sports like cricket or bowling.

bowl — meaning, definition & examples

Word

01a container

A2 · Elementary Countable noun Cooking

n. a round, deep dish used for holding food or liquid.

n. a concave, typically hemispherical vessel used for preparing or serving food.

“He poured the cereal into a large blue bowl and added some milk.”

“The potter crafted a series of shallow ceramic bowls, each finished with a unique glaze that mimicked the textures of natural stone.”

Synonyms

dish basin vessel

02an amount

A2 · Elementary Countable noun

n. the amount of food or liquid that a bowl can hold.

n. the quantity of a substance contained within a bowl; functions as a measure of volume.

“She ate a bowl of hot soup to warm up after the long walk.”

“The recipe requires a small bowl of diced onions, though the exact volume may vary depending on the desired intensity of the flavour.”

Synonyms

bowlfulportion

03a stadium

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Sports American English

n. a large stadium that is shaped like a bowl.

n. an amphitheatre or stadium designed with a continuous, sloping seating arrangement resembling a bowl.

“Thousands of fans gathered in the bowl to watch the championship game.”

“The city's historic outdoor bowl provides an acoustically unique environment for summer concerts and large-scale theatrical performances.”

Synonyms

stadium arena amphitheatre

04a hollow part

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. the round, hollow part of something, like a pipe or a spoon.

n. the concave or hollowed-out portion of an object or geographical feature.

“He cleaned the bowl of his tobacco pipe with a small tool.”

“The valley formed a natural bowl between the mountains, trapping the morning mist until the sun rose high enough to burn it away.”

Synonyms

hollow cavity depression

05to throw a ball

B1 · Intermediate Sports

v. to throw or roll a ball towards a target in sports like cricket or bowling.

v. to deliver a ball to a batsman in cricket, or to roll a ball in ten-pin bowling or lawn bowls.

“It was his turn to bowl, and he hoped to knock down all the pins.”

“The fast bowler struggled to maintain a consistent line and length during the opening session of the test match.”

Usage

In cricket, the verb is used for the delivery of the ball with a straight arm.

Synonyms

pitch throw roll

From Middle English bolle, from Old English bolla, bolle (“bowl, cup, pot, beaker, measure”), from Proto-West Germanic bollā, from Proto-Germanic bullǭ (“ball, round vessel, bowl”). Cognate with North Frisian bol (“bun, bread roll”), Middle Low German bolle, bole (“round object”), Dutch bol (“ball, sphere, scoop, dot”), German Bolle (“bulb”), Danish bolle (“bowl, bread roll”), Icelandic bolli (“cup”). Doublet of boule and pulla.