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Prow vs Prowl - What's the difference?

prow | prowl |

As nouns the difference between prow and prowl

is that prow is the fore part of a vessel; the bow; the stem; hence, the vessel itself while prowl is the act of prowling.

As an adjective prow

is brave, valiant, gallant.

As a verb prowl is

to rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty.

prow

English

Etymology 1

(wikipedia prow) From (etyl) (m), from Genoese Italian (m), (m), from (etyl) prora, from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (nautical) The fore part of a vessel; the bow; the stem; hence, the vessel itself.
  • * Milton
    • The floating vessel swum / Uplifted, and secure with beaked prow / rode tilting o'er the waves.
  • * 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter IV
    • We were already rather close in; but I ordered the U-33's prow turned inshore and we crept slowly along, constantly dipping up the water and tasting it to assure ourselves that we didn't get outside the fresh-water current.
    Synonyms
    * prore

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl), from (etyl) prou, from prode; more at (proud).

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (archaic) Brave, valiant, gallant. Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary – prow [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prow%5B1%5D]
  • *
    • For they be two the prowest knights on ground, / And oft approu’d in many hard assay
    Related terms
    * prowess

    References

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)

    • prowl

    English

    Verb

  • To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty.
  • * Sir Philip Sidney
    • He prowls each place, still in new colours decked.
    Watch the lioness prowling in the shrubbery for zebras.
    It's tough to sneak vandalism into Wikipedia as there are plenty of other users prowling the Recent Changes page.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=January 5 , author=Mark Ashenden , title=Wolverhampton 1 - 0 Chelsea , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=While McCarthy prowled the touchline barking orders, his opposite number watched on motionless and expressionless and, with 25 minutes to go, decided to throw on Nicolas Anelka for Kalou. }}
  • To idle; to go about aimlessly.
    • That dandy has nothing better to do than prowl around town all day in his pinstripe suit.
  • (obsolete) To collect by plunder.
    • to prowl money

    Derived terms

    * on the prowl * prowl car

    Derived terms

    * prowler

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (colloquial) The act of prowling.
    • I'm going on a midnight prowl .
    (Smart)