Towered

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To rise to an impressive height, displaying a commanding presence in surroundings, while also suggesting a marked influence or importance in a particular setting
2. To rise far above others or objects in height ; to be prominent or notable in status or effect
3. To be significantly taller or more elevated compared to something else ; to dominate in significance or power

Etymology: "Towered" is the past tense of "tower," so its story is really the story of the noun it comes from. The noun reached English from Latin "turris," which in turn had Greek cousins "tyrsis" and "tyrrhis," and it arrived in Old English as "tur" and "tor," a word that could mean either a man-made tower or a natural rock outcrop. That double sense survives in place names and in the word "tor" itself, which still means a rocky hill in southwest England. The verb was formed in Middle English as "touren" or "torren," built directly on the Old English noun. Its surprise lies in how the common modern sense emerged. Early uses could describe something standing tall or looming, so "towering" carried the sense of rising high before anyone thought of a skyscraper or a castle. Over time the verb came to mean rising far above something, which is the sense you see in "the mountains towered over the valley."

Synonyms: rose, soared