Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Leafy and shady; like a bower: Describes a place that is covered with or characterized by trees, vines, or foliage that provides pleasant shade, reminiscent of a secluded, leafy shelter (a bower).

2. Noun:

   • A street in Manhattan, New York City: Specifically refers to "The Bowery," a street and historical district in Lower Manhattan, historically known for its cheap hotels, bars, and as an area frequented by down-and-out or homeless individuals.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:

  • We found a bowery spot by the river for our picnic. (We found a leafy, shady spot by the river for our picnic.)
  • The garden path was delightfully bowery and cool. (The garden path was delightfully leafy, shady, and cool.)

• Noun:

  • The artist lived in a cheap studio on the Bowery for years. (The artist lived in a cheap studio on that specific street in Manhattan for years.)
  • Historically, the Bowery was a notorious skid row. (Historically, that specific area/street was a notorious district for the destitute.)

Advanced Usage

• "The Bowery" as a cultural reference: When capitalized, it almost exclusively refers to the New York City street and its associated history, culture, and urban development.
  • His novel captures the gritty life of the Bowery in the 1890s. (His novel captures the gritty life of that specific New York City district in the 1890s.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bower (n): A pleasant shady place under trees or climbing plants; a rustic retreat or arbor. This is the root word from which "bowery" is derived.
  • They sat in a rose-covered bower. (They sat in a rose-covered shady retreat.)

Synonyms

• Adjective: Shady, leafy, arboreal, sylvan.
• Noun (for the street): (Proper noun; no direct synonyms. Can be described as) a district, an avenue, a historic neighborhood.

Notes on Different Meanings

• The adjective describes a general quality of a place (shady, leafy).
• The noun (almost always capitalized as "the Bowery") is a proper noun referring to one specific location with a strong socio-historical context. These two meanings are distinct and not typically used interchangeably.

Adjective

1. like a bower; leafy and shady
   • a bowery lane

Noun

1. a street in Manhattan noted for cheap hotels frequented by homeless derelicts