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Tower Tow"er, n. [OE. tour,tor,tur, F. tour, L. turris; akin to Gr. ?; cf. W. twr a tower, Ir. tor a castle, Gael. torr a tower, castle. Cf. Tor, Turret.] 1. (Arch.) (a) A mass of building standing alone and insulated, usually higher than its diameter, but when of great size not always of that proportion. (b) A projection from a line of wall, as a fortification, for purposes of defense, as a flanker, either or the same height as the curtain wall or higher. (c) A structure appended to a larger edifice for a special purpose, as for a belfry, and then usually high in proportion to its width and to the height of the rest of the edifice; as, a church tower. [1913 Webster]

2. A citadel; a fortress; hence, a defense. [1913 Webster]

Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. --Ps. lxi. 3. [1913 Webster]

3. A headdress of a high or towerlike form, fashionable about the end of the seventeenth century and until 1715; also, any high headdress. [1913 Webster]

Lay trains of amorous intrigues In towers, and curls, and periwigs. --Hudibras. [1913 Webster]

4. High flight; elevation. [Obs.] --Johnson. [1913 Webster]

{Gay Lussac s tower} (Chem.), a large tower or chamber used in the sulphuric acid process, to absorb (by means of concentrated acid) the spent nitrous fumes that they may be returned to the Glover s tower to be reemployed. See {Sulphuric acid}, under Sulphuric, and {Glover s tower}, below.

{Glover s tower} (Chem.), a large tower or chamber used in the manufacture of sulphuric acid, to condense the crude acid and to deliver concentrated acid charged with nitrous fumes. These fumes, as a catalytic, effect the conversion of sulphurous to sulphuric acid. See {Sulphuric acid}, under Sulphuric, and {Gay Lussac s tower}, above.

{Round tower}. See under Round, a.

{Shot tower}. See under Shot.

{Tower bastion} (Fort.), a bastion of masonry, often with chambers beneath, built at an angle of the interior polygon of some works.

{Tower mustard} (Bot.), the cruciferous plant {Arabis perfoliata}.

{Tower of London}, a collection of buildings in the eastern part of London, formerly containing a state prison, and now used as an arsenal and repository of various objects of public interest. [1913 Webster]

Tower Tow"er, v. i. [imp. & p. p. towered; p. pr. & vb. n. towering.] To rise and overtop other objects; to be lofty or very high; hence, to soar. [1913 Webster]

On the other side an high rock towered still. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

My lord protector s hawks do tower so well. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

Tower Tow"er, v. t. To soar into. [Obs.] --Milton. [1913 Webster]

to spanish

tower [tau?r] torre
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to french

tower [tau?r] tour
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to deutch

tower [tau?r] Turm
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to italian

tower torre
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to latin

tower [tau?r] turris
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Bible Dictionary

Tower
Watch-towers or fortified posts in frontier or exposedsituations are mentioned in Scripture, as the tower of Edar,etc., (genesis 35:21; isaiah 21:5,8,11; micah 4:8) etc.; thetower of Lebanon. (2 samuel 8:6) Besides these militarystructures, we read in Scripture of towers built in vineyardsas an almost necessary appendage to them. (1 samuel 5:2;matthew 22:33; mark 12:1) Such towers are still in use inPalestine in vineyards, especially near Hebron, and are used aslodges for the keepers of the vineyards.