Bowers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A shaded or secluded outdoor area often created by trees or climbing plants
2. A natural region serving as a resting place adorned with greenery and flowers
3. A structure or setting that offers refuge or shelter amid foliage in a garden or park

Etymology: The plural "bowers" is the form of "bower," and the word has split into several unrelated senses. The most familiar, a leafy shelter in a garden or wood, comes from the verb "bow" in the sense of bending or arching, which describes branches curving over a shaded space. A similar sense sits behind the nautical "bow" of a ship's forepart. A separate line of the word means a room or dwelling. In Old English "būr" was a private chamber or inner room, and it shares roots with the German "Bauer," which once meant a birdcage, a sense also kept in Old Norse "búr." Poetry leaned on the leafy sense: "bowers" appears often in English verse for lovers' retreats and secluded retreats, and that romantic association has stayed with it. The plural is usually used for those arbours in literary or old-fashioned contexts.

Synonyms: arbors, shelters, nooks