bowery: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal/Literary/Historical
Quick answer
What does “bowery” mean?
A district or area where homeless people or vagrants gather, often with makeshift shelters.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A district or area where homeless people or vagrants gather, often with makeshift shelters.
Historically, a farm or plantation; more broadly, any shanty town or impoverished urban area with temporary dwellings.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the term is rarely used and would likely be understood only in historical or literary contexts. In American English, it is primarily associated with the Bowery district in New York City and its historical connotations.
Connotations
In American English, strongly associated with New York City history, skid row, urban decay, and early 20th-century poverty. In British English, if recognized, it carries a more general, archaic sense of a rural farm.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern British English; low but recognizable in American English due to the famous New York City district.
Grammar
How to Use “bowery” in a Sentence
[be/lie] in the Bowery[descend/go] to the Bowery[live/struggle] on the BoweryVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bowery” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The play depicted a bowery existence, full of hardship.
- He wrote about the bowery life of 19th-century London.
American English
- The photographer captured the bowery landscape of 1970s Manhattan.
- His novel describes a bowery atmosphere of despair and resilience.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in historical, sociological, or urban studies contexts discussing New York City, poverty, or urban development.
Everyday
Extremely rare; might be used by older generations or in New York City with specific local reference.
Technical
Not used in technical fields outside specific historical or urban planning discussions.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bowery”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bowery”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bowery”
- Misspelling as 'bowary' or 'bowerie'.
- Using it as a general synonym for any slum.
- Pronouncing it like 'bow' (as in ribbon) instead of 'bow' (as in bow down).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring specifically to the district in New York City, it is capitalized ('the Bowery'). When used more generically or as an adjective, it is often lowercased ('a bowery existence'), though this usage is rare.
In its original, archaic sense (a farm or plantation), it was neutral. In its dominant modern sense, it is almost exclusively negative, associated with urban blight and poverty.
No, it is a low-frequency word. Its use is mostly confined to historical discussions about New York City or literary contexts.
There is no direct etymological connection. 'Bowery' comes from Dutch 'bouwerij' (farm), while 'bower' comes from Old English 'būr' (dwelling). The similarity is coincidental.
A district or area where homeless people or vagrants gather, often with makeshift shelters.
Bowery is usually formal/literary/historical in register.
Bowery: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbaʊəri/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbaʊəri/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “down and out on the Bowery”
- “a Bowery baptism (historical: initiation through hardship)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'BOW' as in bending low in poverty, and 'ERY' as in a place (like bakery, brewery) – a place where people are brought low.
Conceptual Metaphor
URBAN DECAY IS A WILDERNESS (The Bowery was seen as an untamed, dangerous place within the city.)
Practice
Quiz
What is the modern primary connotation of 'Bowery' in American English?