tower /towr, towˈər/

1. A tall building, standing alone or forming part of another, eg a church
2. A fortress, castle, with or consisting of a tower
3. A place of defence or retreat
4. A medieval war machine consisting of a tall movable structure, which allowed access to a castle's ramparts from outside (historical)
5. A control tower
6. A floor-standing unit housing a computer (computing)
7. (esp in the 17c) a woman's high headdress
8. The high flight of a bird

1. To rise into the air (above)
2. To be or stand very high or tall
3. To be superior
4. (of eg a hawk) to soar up high so as to swoop on quarry

To rise aloft into

towˈered adjective

towˈering adjective

1. Very tall, elevated
2. (eg of anger, rage) very violent or intense

towˈeringly adverb

towˈerless adjective

towˈery adjective

1. Having towers
2. Very tall

tower block noun

A tall building containing offices or residential flats

tower captain noun

The leader of a group of bellringers

tower mill see smock mill under smock

towˈer-shell noun

A gastropod (genus Turritella) with an elongated many-whorled spiral shell, or its shell

tower of strength

A stable, reliable person

tower over

1. To be considerably taller than
2. To be markedly superior to

tow¹ /tō or (Scot) tow/

1. To pull (eg another car, caravan, etc) behind one with a rope or cable
2. To pull along

To proceed by being towed

1. The condition of being towed
2. An act of towing
3. A tow rope
4. That which is towed
5. A rope, esp a bell-rope or a hangman's rope (Scot)

towˈable adjective

towˈage noun

1. An act of towing
2. The condition of being towed
3. A fee for towing

towˈer noun

towˈing noun and adjective

tow bar noun

A metal bar or frame used for towing trailers, etc

tow boat noun

A tug

towˈing-bitts plural noun

Upright timbers projecting above eg a ship's deck for fastening towlines to

towˈ-iron noun

A toggle iron used in whaling

towˈline, tow rope or towing rope noun

A line, rope or cable used in towing

tow net or towing net noun

A dragnet for collecting specimens, objects of natural history, etc

towˈpath or towing path noun

A path beside a canal or river for horses towing barges

towˈplane noun

An aircraft that tows gliders

tow truck noun (N American)

A breakdown truck, esp one able to tow another vehicle

have (or take) in tow

1. To tow (another vehicle, vessel, etc)
2. To take along with one, be accompanied by
3. To have or assume charge of

on tow (of vehicles) or under tow (of vessels)

Being towed

• AUC
• auceps
• aucepses
• au contraire
• au courant
• auction
• auctionary
• auction bridge
• auction bridges
• auction by reserve
• auctioned
• auctioneer
• auctioneered
• auctioneering
• auctioneers
• auctioning
• auctions
• auctorial
• aucuba
• aucubas
• audacious
• audaciously
• audaciousness
• audaciousnesses
• audacities