stow

¹

[stoh]

verb (used with object)

1. Nautical.

   1. to put (cargo, provisions, etc.) in the places intended for them.

   2. to put (sails, spars, gear, etc.) in the proper place or condition when not in use.

2. to put in a place or receptacle, as for storage or reserve; pack.

   He stowed the potatoes in our cellar.

3. to fill (a place or receptacle) by packing.

   to stow a carton with books.

4. to have or afford room for; hold.

5. Slang.,  to stop; break off.

   Stow it! Stow the talk!

6. to put away, as in a safe or convenient place (often followed byaway ).

7. to lodge or quarter.

verb phrase

1. stow away,  to conceal oneself aboard a ship or other conveyance in order to obtain free transportation or to elude pursuers.

Stow

²

[stoh]

noun

1. a city in NE Ohio.

stow

¹

/ stəʊ /

verb

1. (often foll by away) to pack or store

2. to fill by packing

3. nautical to pack or put away (cargo, sails and other gear, etc)

4. to have enough room for

5. slang,  (usually imperative) to cease from

   stow your noise!

   stow it!

Stow

²

/ stəʊ /

noun

1. John. 1525–1605, English antiquary, noted for his Survey of London and Westminster (1598; 1603)

Other Word Forms

• stowable adjective
• restow verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of stow¹

1300–50; Middle English stowen, Old English stōwigan to keep, hold back (literally, to place), derivative of stōw place; akin to Old Norse eldstō fireplace, Gothic stojan to judge (literally, to place)

Word History and Origins

Origin of stow¹

Old English stōwian to keep, hold back, from stōw a place; related to Old High German stouwen to accuse, Gothic stōjan to judge, Old Slavonic staviti to place

Example Sentences

For people who fall foul of these rules, some airlines charge hefty fees to upgrade a bag from a free personal item to an overhead cabin bag at the airport gate, or to stow an oversized cabin bag in the hold.

From BBC

The Grade II-listed Coach and Horses Inn, which remains closed, dates back to the 18th Century and sits opposite Clarkson's Hawkstone Brewery on the A429 Stow Road.

From BBC

Yet Trương doesn’t solely focus on these two young lovers, nor on Nam’s specific plan to stow himself away for good.

From Los Angeles Times

Rosemary Stow, who runs craft gallery Quillies, said most tourists do not make it past the visitor centre in the nearby Elan Valley.

From BBC

She arranges for Paddington to stow away on a cargo ship to England and tells him to write to her at the Home for Retired Bears.

From Salon

Related Words

• put away 
• secrete 
• stash 
• tuck