tow·er / ˈtou(-ə)r/ • n. 1. a tall narrow building, either freestanding or forming part of a building such as a church or castle. ∎  a tall structure that houses machinery, operators, etc. ∎  a tall structure used as a receptacle or for storage: a CD tower. ∎  a tall pile or mass of something: a titanic tower of garbage. ∎  (the Tower) see Tower of London.2. a place of defense; a protection.• v. [intr.] 1. rise to or reach a great height: he seemed to tower over everyone else.2. (of a bird) soar to a great height, esp. (of a falcon) so as to be able to swoop down on the quarry.PHRASES: tower of strengthsee strength.DERIVATIVES: tow·ered adj. ( chiefly poetic/lit. ).tow·er·y adj. ( poetic/lit. ).

tower a tower is the emblem of St Barbara.
Tower Bridge a bridge across the Thames in London, famous for its twin towers and for the two bascules of which the roadway consists, able to be lifted to allow the passage of large ships. It was completed in 1894.
Tower of London a fortress by the Thames just east of the City of London. The oldest part, the White Tower, was begun in 1078. It was later used as a state prison, and is now open to the public as a repository of ancient armour and weapons, and of the Crown jewels (which have been kept there since the time of Henry III).
tower of silence a tall open-topped structure on which Parsees traditionally place and leave exposed the body of someone who has died.
tower of strength a source of strong and reliable support; perhaps originally alluding to the Book of Common Prayer ‘O Lord…be unto them a tower of strength.’
tower pound a pound weight of 5400 grains (= 11 ¼ Troy ounces), which was the legal mint pound of England prior to the adoption of the Troy pound of 5760 grains in 1526.

See also ivory tower, Twin Towers at twin.

tower. Tall structure of any form on plan, high in proportion to its lateral dimensions, often rising in stages (rather than storeys), free-standing or part of another building, used in fortifications, as points of reference in the landscape, or as a belfry attached to a church. Church-towers often have buttresses, are crowned with battlements, or support spires, and have important architectural features. See also steeple.

Tower

a raised pile of something that resembles a tower.

Examples : tower of buttered Yorkshire cake, 1840; of his conscience, 1483; of giraffes—Hare, 1939; of hawks (high flying Hoby hawks), 1575; of heaven, 1240; of lace, 1852; of pikes; of state, 1605; of timber (siege tower), 1483; of waves, c. 1400; of wood (siege tower), 1665; secret tower of his heart, 1374.

tower A piece of equipment, such as a computer system box, whose dimensions are such that height > depth > width. A large tower might be free-standing on the floor, while a smaller one might be a deskside unit and the smallest ones stand on the desktop. See also midi-tower.