stowaway

1 of 2

noun

stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
: one that stows away

stow away

2 of 2

verb

stowed away; stowing away; stows away

intransitive verb

: to secrete oneself aboard a vehicle as a means of obtaining transportation

Examples of stowaway in a Sentence

Noun A stowaway was discovered on the ship.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
However, the airplane originated in São Paulo, Brazil, which raises the question of when the stowaway entered the wheel well. Sheldon H. Jacobson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025 The stowaway was identified as Shemaiah Patrice Small, 33, of California, according to the documents. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
While the reports don’t give a sense of Small’s motives, experts say there are many reasons why a person might stow away on an aircraft. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2025 There have been multiple recent incidents of people stowing away in airplane wheel wells or boarding without tickets. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for stowaway 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stowaway was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near stowaway

stowage

stowaway

stow away

Cite this Entry

“Stowaway.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stowaway. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

stowaway

1 of 2 noun
stow·​away ˈstō-ə-ˌwā How to pronounce stowaway (audio)
: one who stows away : an unregistered passenger

stow away

2 of 2 verb
ˌstō-ə-ˈwā
: to hide aboard a vehicle to obtain transportation

More from Merriam-Webster on stowaway

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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