tower1

[tou-er] /ˈtaʊ ər/
noun
1.
a building or structure high in proportion to its lateral dimensions, either isolated or forming part of a building.
2.
such a structure used as or intended for a stronghold, fortress, prison, etc.
3.
any of various fully enclosed fireproof housings for vertical communications, as staircases, between the stories of a building.
4.
any structure, contrivance, or object that resembles or suggests a tower.
5.
a tall, movable structure used in ancient and medieval warfare in storming a fortified place.
6.
a tall, vertical case with accessible horizontal drive bays, designed to house a computer system standing on a desk or floor.
Compare minitower.
7.
Aviation. control tower.
verb (used without object)
8.
to rise or extend far upward, as a tower; reach or stand high:
The skyscraper towers above the city.
9.
to rise above or surpass others:
She towers above the other students.
10.
Falconry. (of a hawk) to rise straight into the air; to ring up.
Idioms
11.
tower of strength, a person who can be relied on for support, aid, or comfort, especially in times of difficulty.
Origin
before 900; (noun) Middle English tour, earlier tur, tor < Old French < Latin turris < Greek týrris, variant of týrsis tower; Middle English tor perhaps in some cases continuing Old English torr < Latin turris, as above; (v.) late Middle English touren, derivative of the noun
Related forms
towerless, adjective
towerlike, adjective

tower2

[toh-er] /ˈtoʊ ər/
noun
1.
a person or thing that tows.
Origin
1485-95; tow1 + -er1

tow2

[toh] /toʊ/
noun
1.
the fiber of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by scutching.
2.
the shorter, less desirable flax fibers separated from line fibers in hackling.
3.
synthetic filaments prior to spinning.
adjective
4.
made of tow.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English; Old English tōw- (in tōwlīc pertaining to thread, tōwhūs spinning house); akin to Old Norse tō wool
Examples from the web for tower
  • In theory, the new material could be placed into a tower in a building adjacent to a power plant, he said.
  • Make a block tower at the midway point to find out how high the block goes.
  • But the conference will also ponder a number of questions about the ivory tower itself.
  • Moody's, a credit-rating agency, recently moved into the office tower.
  • The triangular tower of light is easiest to spot around the spring and fall equinoxes.
  • The frightening-looking mushroom cloud emanating from the cooling tower appeared more hazardous than it actually was.
  • Once the tower and suspension cables are in place and are holding up these segments, construction crews will remove the falsework.
  • Go back to the ivory tower and your imaginary world.
  • The showy lantern tower of the tallest spire glowed with a nighttime torch when the king was in.
  • All zones should consider growing a tower of flowers.
British Dictionary definitions for tower

tower

/ˈtaʊə/
noun
1.
a tall, usually square or circular structure, sometimes part of a larger building and usually built for a specific purpose: a church tower, a control tower
2.
a place of defence or retreat
3.
a mobile structure used in medieval warfare to attack a castle, etc
4.
tower of strength, a person who gives support, comfort, etc
verb
5.
(intransitive) to be or rise like a tower; loom
Word Origin
C12: from Old French tur, from Latin turris, from Greek

tow1

/təʊ/
verb
1.
(transitive) to pull or drag (a vehicle, boat, etc), esp by means of a rope or cable
noun
2.
the act or an instance of towing
3.
the state of being towed (esp in the phrases in tow, under tow, on tow)
4.
something towed
5.
something used for towing
6.
in tow, in one's charge or under one's influence
7.
(informal) (in motor racing, etc) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow)
8.
short for ski tow
Derived Forms
towable, adjective
Word Origin
Old English togian; related to Old Frisian togia, Old Norse toga, Old High German zogōn

tow2

/təʊ/
noun
1.
the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state
2.
synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning
3.
the coarser fibres discarded after combing
Derived Forms
towy, adjective
Word Origin
Old English tōw; related to Old Saxon tou, Old Norse tō tuft of wool, Dutch touwen to spin
Word Origin and History for tower
n.

Old English torr, from Latin turris "high structure" (cf. Old French tor, 11c.; Spanish, Italian torre "tower"), possibly from a pre-Indo-European Mediterranean language. Also borrowed separately 13c. as tour, from Old French tur. The modern spelling first recorded in 1520s. Meaning "lofty pile or mass" is recorded from mid-14c.

v.

c.1400; see tower (n.). Related: Towered; towering.

tow

v.

"pull with a rope," Old English togian "to drag, pull," from Proto-Germanic *tugojanan (cf. Old English teon "to draw," Old Frisian togia "to pull about," Old Norse toga, Old High German zogon, German ziehen "to draw, pull, drag"), from PIE root *deuk- "to pull, draw" (cf. Latin ducere "to lead;" see duke (n.)). Related: Towed; towing. The noun meaning "act or fact of being towed" is recorded from 1620s. Towaway, in reference to parking zones, is recorded from 1956.

n.

"coarse, broken fibers of flax, hemp, etc.," late 14c., probably from Old English tow- "spinning" (in towlic "fit for spinning"), perhaps cognate with Gothic taujan "to do, make," Middle Dutch touwen "to knit, weave."

tower in the Bible

(Judg. 16:9). See FLAX.

Idioms and Phrases with tower

tower

In addition to the idiom beginning with tower also see: ivory tower

tow

see: in tow