| 释义 |
tow·er
I. \ˈtau̇(ə)r, ˈtau̇ə, esp in southern United States ˈtau̇wə(r\ noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English tour, tur, tor, from Old English torr & Old French tor, tur, both from Latin turris, from Greek tyrris, tyrsis
1.
a. : a building or structure designed primarily for elevation that is higher than its diameter and high relative to its surroundings, that may stand apart (as a round tower, campanile, or pagoda), be attached (as a church belfry) to a larger structure, or project above or out from a wall, and that may be of skeleton framework (as an observation or transmission tower)
b. : such a structure used as a defense : citadel, fortress
c. : fortified prison
d. : a medieval engine of war for storming operations consisting of a tower on wheels having several platforms with the lowest sometimes occupied by a battering ram and the highest by soldiers (as archers and men with scaling ladders)
2. : a structure or mass in the form of or resembling a tower: as
a. : a building for housing the mechanism (as levers) for operating the switches and signals of a railroad : switch tower
b.
(1) : fire tower 1
(2) : water tower 2
(3) : drill tower
c. : control tower
d. : a high office or apartment building : skyscraper
< the new owners of that uptown office tower — New York Herald Tribune >
e. : a very high formation or pile (as of rock)
f. : a vertical structure of varying height through which gases or liquids are passed especially to be purified, dried, fractionated, or absorbed — compare bubble tower, column 3d, glover tower, plate tower
g. : a structure on an elephant's back — compare howdah
h. : a heraldic representation of a round tower closely resembling in form a modern rook in chess — compare castle 6
i. : tour I 4
3.
a. : one that provides support or protection : bulwark, pillar
< thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy — Ps 61:3 (Authorized Version) >
— usually used in the phrase tower of strength
< the king's name is a tower of strength — Shakespeare >
< has been a veritable tower of strength in the affairs of this club — W.F.Brown b. 1903 >
b. : a place of refuge (as for contemplation or for avoidance of worldly problems) : retreat, sanctuary
< the only escape from this anguish of dissatisfaction was to ascend into those towers of indifference — P.E.More >
< content to stay within theology's safe academic tower — Newsweek >
— compare ivory tower
4. : the high flight of a bird (as a hawk or eagle) : soar
< the peak of the tower >
especially : the steep flight upward of a wounded game bird
II. verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English towren, torren, from towr, tor tower
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to reach to a great height : rise
< spires towering in the distance >
< a great column of black smoke … towering up — Nevil Shute >
< the powdered coiffures … towered as much as a yard high — Lois Long >
< one moment he towered in imagination, the next he groveled in fear — G.D.Brown >
b. : to rise above the surroundings : surpass others : overshadow — used with above or over
< the great forests towered above the toiling men and women — W.P.Webb >
< tower above all the rest in vigor and height of intellect — Joshua Whatmough >
2.
a. : to fly high before swooping : soar
< the raven … towered steeply up from the rocks — Farley Mowat >
— used. especially of a hawk; compare stoop
b. : to fly vertically upward before falling — used of a wounded game bird
< had another bird which towered — T.H.White b. 1906 >
transitive verb
1. archaic : to raise aloft : lift up : elevate
< gigantic trees … towered their lofty heads to the clouds — W.S.Mayo >
2. obsolete : to soar into
< rising on stiff pennons tower the mid aerial sky — John Milton >
Synonyms: see rise
III. \ˈtō(ə)r\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: tow (III) + -er
: one that smooths ceramic ware with tow |