a round vessel that is open at the top; used chiefly for holding food or liquids
"She carefully poured the hot soup into her ceramic bowl to keep it warm while she waited for her friend."
a dish that is round and open at the top for serving foods
"She scooped the fresh salad into her bowl before taking it to the table."
a large structure for open-air sports or entertainments
"The city built a massive bowl to host the annual summer festival and outdoor concerts."
a large ball with finger holes used in the sport of bowling
"She adjusted her grip on the heavy wooden bowl and released it down the lane, hoping for a strike."
a wooden ball (with flattened sides so that it rolls on a curved course) used in the game of lawn bowling
"After hours of practice, she finally managed to get her wooden bowl rolling straight down the green and clinching the match."
A roughly hemispherical container used to hold, mix or present food, such as salad, fruit or soup, or other items.
"The white bowl skimmed across the green, landing just a foot away from the red target."
The ball rolled by players in the game of lawn bowls.
In plain English: A bowl is a round dish with an open top that you use to hold food or other things.
"She placed the large bowl of soup on the table."
Usage: Use "bowl" to refer to the round object rolled or thrown toward a target in games like lawn bowls or ten-pin bowling. Do not use it for the dish used for eating soup or cereal, which is also called a bowl but relates to a different definition.
hurl a cricket ball from one end of the pitch towards the batsman at the other end
"The spinner bowled a perfect delivery that spun sharply and took the batsman's guard."
To roll or throw (a ball) in the correct manner in cricket and similar games and sports.
"The coach corrected his grip so he could bowl the delivery straight down the pitch."
In plain English: To bowl means to roll a ball down a lane to knock over pins.
"She decided to bowl over her opponent with a powerful strike."
Usage: Use "bowl" as a verb to describe rolling or throwing a ball toward a target in games like cricket or bowling. Avoid using it for other types of throwing unless specifically referring to that sport.
The word "bowl" comes from Old English bolla, originally meaning a round vessel or ball-like object. It traveled into modern usage through Middle English while retaining its core sense of a deep, rounded container.