tower

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A tall, narrow structure, either standing alone or part of a building.

   We climbed the church tower to see the view.

2. 2
   verb

   To be very tall, especially compared to things nearby.

   The new office block towers over the old houses.

From Middle English tour, tur, tor, from Old English tūr, tor, torr ("tower; rock"; > English tor) and Old French tour, toer, tor; both from Latin turris (“a tower”), Ancient Greek τύρρις (túrrhis) (Hesychius), τύρσις (túrsis). Compare Scots tour, towr, towre (“tower”), West Frisian toer (“tower”), Dutch toren (“tower”), German Turm (“tower”), Danish tårn (“tower”), Swedish torn (“tower”), Icelandic turn (“tower”), Welsh tŵr. Doublet of tor, tourelle, and turret.

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