# bowl

/ˈboʊɫ/ (US) · /bˈəʊl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bowl
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a container

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 2. an amount

noun · CEFR A2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 3. a stadium

noun · CEFR B2 · American English

a large stadium that is shaped like a bowl.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. a hollow part

noun · CEFR B2

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

For teachers: 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.

### 5. to throw a ball

verb · CEFR B1

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

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- I eat my cereal from a large blue bowl.
- The chef placed a steaming bowl of vegetable soup on the table next to the fresh bread.
- While flat plates are suitable for solid entrees, a deep ceramic bowl is essential for serving liquid-based dishes to prevent spills and retain heat during the meal.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.