bowl
2 (bōl)
[Middle English boule, from Old French, from Latin bulla, round object.]
noun
- A large wooden ball weighted or slightly flattened so as to roll with a bias.
- A roll or throw of this ball, as in bowling.
- See lawn bowling
- A revolving cylinder or drum in a machine.
verb: bowled, bowl·ing, bowls.
intransitive verb
- To participate in a game of bowling.
- To throw or roll a ball in bowling.
- To hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch toward the batsman at the other, keeping the arm straight throughout the delivery.
- To move quickly and smoothly, especially by rolling: The children bowled along on their bicycles.
transitive verb
- To throw or roll (a ball).
- To achieve (a specified score) by bowling.
- To perform (a specified amount, as a string or game) in bowling.
- To move quickly and smoothly by or as if by rolling: bowled a tire from the garage.
- To meet or strike with or as if with the force of a rapidly rolling object.
phrasal verbs
- bowl out
- To retire (a batsman in cricket) with a bowled ball that knocks the bails off the wicket.
- bowl over
- To take by surprise.
- To make a powerful impression on; overwhelm.
