prow n : front part of a vessel or aircraft; "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line" [syn: bow, fore, stem]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aʊ

Noun

1. The fore part of a vessel; the bow; the stem; hence, the vessel itself.

Translations

References

The prow is the fore part of a ship, the stem and its surrounding parts, hence used like keel, by metonymy, of the ship itself. It is often depicted in movies with carved figurehead in the form of a mermaid, a woman in 19th-century dress, or other similar figure. The prow is the part of the bow above the waterline. In old naval parlance, the prow applied to the battery of guns placed in the fore gun-deck.

"Prow" may also refer to a pointed projecting front part of other travelling objects, such as a racing skate, airplane or chariot.

See also

• Glossary of nautical terms