Definition

1. Noun:
   • A flat-bottomed boat with sloping ends, used for transporting bulk materials: A scow is a type of barge designed with a flat bottom and square, sloping ends, typically used for carrying cargo like sand, gravel, or refuse in an open hold.
   • Any of various similar flat-bottomed vessels: More broadly, the term can refer to different kinds of flat-bottomed boats used in shallow waters.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The workers loaded the sand onto the scow for transport across the river.
  • A rusty old scow was moored at the edge of the canal, half-filled with debris.

Advanced Usage

• "To scow" (verb, rare/archaic): To transport by scow.
  • The material was scowed down the coast to the construction site. (This usage is historical and uncommon in modern English.)

Variants and Related Words

• Scow schooner (n): A type of sailing scow, historically used in the Great Lakes and other coastal areas.
• Dump scow (n): A scow specifically designed to carry and dump dredged material or other waste.

Synonyms

• Barge: A flat-bottomed boat for carrying freight, typically on canals and rivers.
• Lighter: A flat-bottomed barge used to transfer cargo to and from ships in harbor areas.

Related Phrases

• "Scow-built" (adj): Describes a boat constructed with a flat bottom and sloping ends like a scow.
  • The small ferry was a scow-built vessel, perfect for the shallow estuary.

Noun

1. a barge carrying bulk materials in an open hold
2. any of various flat-bottomed boats with sloping ends