stow

verb

ˈstō 

stowed; stowing; stows

transitive verb

1

: house, lodge

2

a

: to put away for future use : store

b

obsolete : to lock up for safekeeping : confine

3

a

: to dispose in an orderly fashion : arrange, pack

b

: load

4

slang : to put aside : stop

5

a

archaic : crowd

b

: to eat or drink up

—usually used with away

stowed away a huge dinner

Synonyms

• keep
• put up
• reposit
• store

Examples of stow in a Sentence

He stowed his gear in a locker.

Luggage may be stowed under the seat.

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition to that, the zine’s compact size (8.5 inches by 5.5 inches) is easy to stow in a beach tote and won’t blow around in the breeze like the newspaper version would. —Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

Suitcases go through a lot of wear and tear, whether it's stowed in the overhead bin on your flight or bumping along the baggage carousel. —Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2024

This travel umbrella, which comes in a matching case, is small enough to stow in the car en route to an Academy Awards party. —Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024

The sleeping quarters situated above the bathroom are accessed by a removable ladder that's stowed near the pantry area when not in use and there's ample space for a pair of double beds or a queen or king-sized bed. —Adam Williams, New Atlas, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to place, from stowe place, from Old English stōw; akin to Old Frisian stō place, Greek stylos pillar — more at steer

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stow

• stow away

Kids Definition

stow

verb

ˈstō 

1

: to put away : store

stowed their belongings in the closet

2

a

: arrange sense 1, pack

quickly stowed the cargo

b

: load entry 2 sense 1a

stowed the ships to capacity

3

: to eat or drink up

stow away a meal

Geographical Definition

Stow

geographical name

ˈstō 

city in northeastern Ohio northeast of Akron population 34,837

Biographical Definition

Stow

biographical name

ˈstō 

John 1525–1605 English historian and antiquarian