tower

¹

[ tou-er ]

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. Computers. 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)

1. to rise or extend far upward, as a tower; reach or stand high:

   The skyscraper towers above the city.

2. to rise above or surpass others:

   She towers above the other students.

3. Falconry. (of a hawk) to rise straight into the air; to ring up.

tower

²

[ toh-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that tows.

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

1. intr to be or rise like a tower; loom

Other Words From

• tower·less adjective
• tower·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tower¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English noun tour, earlier tur, tor, from Old French tur, tor, from Latin turris, from Greek týrris, variant of týrsis “tower”; Middle English tor perhaps continuing Old English torr, from Latin turris, as above

Origin of tower²

First recorded in 1485–95; tow ¹ + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tower¹

C12: from Old French tur, from Latin turris, from Greek

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. tower of strength, a person who can be relied on for support, aid, or comfort, especially in times of difficulty.

More idioms and phrases containing tower

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

Example Sentences

On a spring morning in 2002, the Sierra Club’s leaders gathered at the historic Ralston White Retreat, tucked between towering redwood trees on the side of Mount Tamalpais, high above the San Francisco Bay.

From Salon

The refinery’s massive fuel storage tanks, distillation towers and sprawling pipeline have been a long-standing source of community concern.

From Los Angeles Times

The setting wasn’t a restaurant or a neighborhood street: It was the VIP section of a dedication ceremony in Boyle Heights for a towering set of murals featuring the late Dodgers ace Fernando Valenzuela.

From Los Angeles Times

The men who wrote the note in 1892 had been at the lighthouse to install a different type of lantern and glazing at the top of the tower.

From BBC

As Huizar’s intermediary, Esparza served as a go-between for another bribery scheme — this one involving the developer of a planned 20-story residential tower at Hill and Olympic in downtown Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times