bowsed; bowsing

transitive verb

: to haul by means of a tackle

intransitive verb

: to bowse something

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1614, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowse was circa 1614

Dictionary Entries Near bowse

Cite this Entry

“Bowse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowse. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!