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rower

rower

13 2.1
A person who uses oars to move a boat, often for sport
  • noun
  • /ˈroʊər/
translation icon : remero
  • After years of practice, she became a skilled rower and competed at the national level.

I guess I'm not a rower yet yet.

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Examples

  • The study recruited elite collegiate rowers: 13 port-side and 10 starboard-side.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In describing sports of balance, Coubertin discussed a rower's state of mind and the satisfaction a rower obtains from participation.

    Academic text (2007)
  • I could see the rower long before I could see his boat.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Former Olympic rower who went to Brown.

  • And so I told you, I'm a competitive rower, so I often times do not place well.

  • My grandfather, Jack Kelly, was one of the premier rowers of his day.

  • The event hosts over 9,000 rowers on one of the hardest courses in the world.

    Blog text (23)
  • A middle-aged rower, hauling at those oars like he's trying to save his life.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The background and socioeconomic status of marathoners, elite wrestlers, and rowers are different.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Some crews will have experienced rowers in their lineups, while others are true novice crews.

    Blog text (12)

Synonyms

boatman
vsrower
7 2.8

A man who rows or steers a boat to carry people across water

is not limited to paid work and often describes leisure activity
sculler
vsrower
1 8.4

A person who rows a small boat with one or two oars

refers more generally to anyone who propels a boat for sport or leisure
oarsman
vsrower
1 4.4

A person who rows a boat, often in a team

is the neutral word used for the same sport or pastime
boatsman
vsrower
1 4.0

A person who rows or guides a small boat

focuses on sporting or pastime use rather than job or broad skills
oarswoman
vsrower
6.1

A woman who rows a boat, often as a sport

is the gender-neutral term for that sporting role

How Skilled

elite
241 4.5
rower
13 2.1

Surface Forms

rower singular
rowers plural

Morphology

rower = row (transparent) = row + er

Agentive '-er' added to the verb 'row' clearly yields 'a person who rows', which is directly inferable by learners.

Etymology

The word rower comes from the simple verb row, which means 'to move a boat with oars', plus the ending -er meaning 'one who does something'. So a rower is literally 'one who rows', a person who moves a boat for sport or pleasure.