row
See also: Row and rów
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English rewe, rowe, rawe, from Old English rǣw, rāw, probably from Proto-Germanic *raiwō, *raigwō, *raih- (“row, streak, line”), from Proto-Indo-European *reyk- (“to carve, scratch, etch”).
Cognate with dialectal Norwegian rå (“boundary line”), Middle Dutch rīe, Dutch rij (“row, line”), Old High German rīga (“line”), rihan (“to string”), Middle High German rige (“line, row, ditch”), rīhe (“row, line, corridor”), German Reihe (“row”), Middle Low German rēge, rīge, Old Norse rega (“string”), Middle Dutch rīghe, Dutch rijg, rijge, German Riege (“sports team”).
Alternative forms
- rew (dialectal)
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: rō, IPA(key): /ˈɹəʊ/
- (US) enPR: rō, IPA(key): /ˈɹoʊ/
Audio (US) (file) - Homophones: rho, roe
- Rhymes: -əʊ
Noun
row (plural rows)
- A line of objects, often regularly spaced, such as seats in a theatre, vegetable plants in a garden etc.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, 1 Kings vii:4:
- And there were windows in three rows.
- 1646 (indicated as 1645), John Milton, “At a Solemn Musick”, in Poems of Mr. John Milton, […], London: […] Ruth Raworth for Humphrey Mosely, […], OCLC 606951673:
- The bright seraphim in burning row.
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:
- Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
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- A horizontal line of entries in a table, etc., going from left to right, as opposed to a column going from top to bottom.
- Antonym: column
Synonyms
- (line of objects): line, sequence, series, succession, tier (of seats)
- (in a table): line
Derived terms
- Forest Row
- long row to hoe
- Loosley Row
- Moor Row
- row of pins
- Spooner Row
Translations
line of objects
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in a table
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Etymology 2
From Middle English rowen (“to row”), from Old English rōwan (“to row”), from Proto-Germanic *rōaną (“to row”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to row”). Compare West Frisian roeie, Dutch roeien, Danish ro. More at rudder.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: rō, IPA(key): /ɹəʊ/
- (US) enPR: rō, IPA(key): /ɹoʊ/
Audio (US) (file) - Homophones: rho, roe
- Rhymes: -əʊ
Verb
row (third-person singular simple present rows, present participle rowing, simple past and past participle rowed)
A boy rowing a boat in Uganda (1)
- (transitive or intransitive, nautical) To propel (a boat or other craft) over water using oars.
- Synonym: paddle
- (transitive) To transport in a boat propelled with oars.
- to row the captain ashore in his barge
- (intransitive) To be moved by oars.
- The boat rows easily.
Derived terms
- get in the boat and row
- rowboat (see also rowing boat)
Translations
transitive:to propel over water using oars
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intransitive: to propel a boat or other craft over water using oars
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
row (plural rows)
- An act or instance of rowing.
- I went for an early-morning row.
- (weightlifting) An exercise performed with a pulling motion of the arms towards the back.
Translations
exercise
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Etymology 3
Unclear; some suggest it is a back-formation from rouse, verb.
Pronunciation
- enPR: rou, IPA(key): /ɹaʊ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -aʊ
Noun
row (plural rows)
- A noisy argument.
- There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
- 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 4293071:
- In the autumn there was a row at some cement works about the unskilled labour men. A union had just been started for them and all but a few joined. One of these blacklegs was laid for by a picket and knocked out of time.
- 1923, P.G. Wodehouse, The Inimitable Jeeves:
- As a rule, you see, I'm not lugged into Family Rows. On the occasions when Aunt is calling to Aunt like mastodons bellowing across primeval swamps and Uncle James's letter about Cousin Mabel's peculiar behaviour is being shot round the family circle... the clan has a tendency to ignore me.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 18, in The China Governess:
- ‘Then the father has a great fight with his terrible conscience,’ said Munday with granite seriousness. ‘Should he make a row with the police […]? Or should he say nothing about it and condone brutality for fear of appearing in the newspapers?
- 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar:
- […] he wrote to me last week telling me about an incredible bitch of a row blazing there on account of someone having been and gone and produced an unofficial magazine called Raddled, full of obscene libellous Oz-like filth. And what I though, what Sammy and I thought, was—why not?
- Synonyms: argument, disturbance, fight, fracas, quarrel, shouting match, slanging match
- A continual loud noise.
- Who's making that row?
- Synonyms: din, racket
Translations
noisy argument
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continual loud noise
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Verb
row (third-person singular simple present rows, present participle rowing, simple past and past participle rowed)
- (intransitive) To argue noisily.
- Synonyms: argue, fight
Translations
intransitive: to argue noisily
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked: "intransitive: to argue noisily"
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Anagrams
- Wor., wor
Lower Sorbian
row
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *rovъ. Cognate with Upper Sorbian row, Polish rów (“ditch”), Czech rov, Russian ров (rov, “ditch”), Old Church Slavonic ровъ (rovŭ, “ditch”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /rɔw/, [row]
Noun
row m (diminutive rowk)
- grave
Declension
Declension of row
| Singular | Dual | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | row | rowa | rowy |
| Genitive | rowa | rowowu | rowow |
| Dative | rowoju | rowoma | rowam |
| Accusative | row | rowa | rowy |
| Instrumental | rowom | rowoma | rowami |
| Locative | rowje | rowoma | rowach |
Further reading
- Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “row”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008
- Starosta, Manfred (1999), “row”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag
Manx
Etymology
From an old perfective particle ro- + va.
Verb
row
- was, were (dependent form)
- Cha row aggle erbee er.
- He was not in the least afraid.
- Dooyrt eh dy row eh mac y ree.
- He claimed that he was the son of the king.
Usage notes
Part of the substantive verb bee. This is the dependent form of the past tense va used after negative and interrogative particles:
Old English
Alternative forms
- rō
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *rōu, from Proto-Germanic *rōwō. Cognate with Old Norse ró (“rest”) and German Ruhe (“quietness, rest, repose”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /roːw/
Noun
rōw f
- quiet, rest, calm
Declension
Declension of row (strong ō-stem)
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | rōw | rōwa, rōwe |
| accusative | rōwe | rōwa, rōwe |
| genitive | rōwe | rōwa |
| dative | rōwe | rōwum |
Descendants
- Middle English: ro, rou, rowe, roo
- English: roo
- Scots: ro, ruve
References
- Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898), “rōw”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Scots
Noun
row (plural rows)
- roll
Derived terms
- row-cloth: a folding cloak of warm cloth
Upper Sorbian
Etymology
From Proto-Slavic *rovъ.
Noun
row m
- grave
Further reading
- “row” in Soblex
Vilamovian
row (1)
row (2)
Pronunciation
Audio (file)
Noun
rōw f (plural rowa)
- rook (bird)
- raven