bowl
gb/bˈoʊl/ us/bˈoʊl/
A1
English
~ 3000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Round deep dish for food
A round, deep dish used to hold or serve food or drinks.
Usage pattern:
a bowl of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bowl' with 'plate'. A plate is flat, while a bowl is deep.
Synonyms
dish (A general term for a container for food; not necessarily deep or round.)
Antonyms
plate (A flat dish, used instead of a bowl for solid foods.)
Collocations
salad bowl
|mixing bowl
|cereal bowl
|bowl of soup
|wooden bowl
Themes
daily life
|food
|kitchen
|food_drink
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She poured the cereal into a large bowl.
- The cat was drinking milk from a small bowl.
- Mix the ingredients in a big mixing bowl.
- I put the fruit in a wooden bowl on the table.
Learner examples
- I eat soup from a bowl.
- The bowl is full of rice.
- He has a blue bowl.
- Please put the salad in the bowl.
Verb
A2
action
2
Roll a ball in a game
To roll a ball towards something in a game like bowling or cricket.
Usage pattern:
to bowl [something] [towards someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'bowl' with 'throw'. In bowling and cricket, the ball is rolled or delivered in a specific way.
Synonyms
roll (A more general term for moving something by turning it over along a surface; not specific to sports.)
Antonyms
throw (To propel something through the air without rolling it along the ground.)
Collocations
bowl a strike
|bowl the ball
|bowl at the batsman
Themes
sports
|games
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He bowled three strikes in a row.
- The player bowled the ball at high speed.
- In cricket, the bowler must bowl overarm.
Learner examples
- I like to bowl with my friends.
- She can bowl very well.
- He will bowl the ball now.
Noun
B1
event
3
Large sports championship event
A big sports game, especially in American football, with 'Bowl' in its name.
Synonyms
final (Refers to the last and deciding match in a sports competition; not necessarily called a 'Bowl'.)
Collocations
Super Bowl
|Rose Bowl
|college bowl game
Themes
sports
|events
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The Super Bowl is watched by millions each year.
- They traveled to see their team play in the Rose Bowl.
- Winning the bowl game was the highlight of the season.
Learner examples
- The Super Bowl is very popular.
- We watched the Rose Bowl on TV.
- Our team won the bowl game.
Verb
B2
action
4
Travel smoothly and quickly
To move fast and smoothly, often in a relaxed way.
Usage pattern:
to bowl [along/down] [somewhere]
Synonyms
cruise (Suggests smooth movement, often leisurely; 'bowl' can sound more casual or carefree.)
Antonyms
crawl (To move very slowly.)
Collocations
bowl along the road
|bowl down the hill
Themes
movement
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We bowled along the country road in the sunshine.
- The car bowled down the highway at high speed.
- They were bowling along without a care in the world.
Learner examples
- We bowled along the road.
- The bike bowled down the hill.
- The car bowled along quickly.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bowl
IPA
GB/bˈoʊl/
US/bˈoʊl/
Syllables & stress
bowl (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bowl)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bowl
- Plural: bowls
Verb
- Base: bowl
- 3rd Person Singular: bowls
- Present Participle: bowling
- Past: bowled
Word family
Forms
Related words
bowler
noun
bowlful
noun
Expressions
bowl over
1/bˈoʊl ˈoʊvɚ/
phrasal verb
informal
Astonish or impress greatly
To surprise or impress someone very much.
Examples
- She was bowled over by his generosity.
- The performance bowled over the audience.
Super Bowl
1/sˈupɚ bˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
NFL championship game
The final and biggest game of the American football season in the NFL.
Examples
- The Super Bowl is one of the most-watched events in the U.S.
- They threw a party to watch the Super Bowl.
have someone over a barrel
1/hˈæv sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈoʊvɚ ə bˈɛɹəl/
idiom
informal
Have complete control over someone
To put someone in a situation where they have no choice but to do what you want.
Examples
- The company had him over a barrel after he signed the contract.
- She felt they had her over a barrel with their demands.
have someone over a barrel
2/hˈæv sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈoʊvɚ ə bˈɛɹəl/
idiom
informal
have someone in weak position
To control someone because they are in a weak position and must do what you want.
Examples
- The landlord has us over a barrel because there are no other apartments available.
- With the deadline so close, the supplier knew they had us over a barrel.
- He felt the bank had him over a barrel with the new loan terms.