tower

tower — noun

1. A structure with a height much greater than its width, rising from the ground as

1.nounA2
Definition

A structure with a height much greater than its width, rising from the ground as its own building or as a section of a larger construction such as a castle, church, or fortress.

Example

Hao climbed the narrow stairs of the old tower to see the city below.

The church tower has stood in the same spot for more than four hundred years.

noun + tower: church tower, castle tower

Common collocations
  • bell tower
  • church tower
  • castle tower
  • clock tower
  • watchtower
  • water tower
  • control tower
Synonyms
  • spire

    specifically a tapering cone or pyramid on top of a tower, often on a church

  • skyscraper

    a very tall modern building in a city; much larger than a typical tower

  • minaret

    a tall slender tower on a mosque with a balcony for the call to prayer

Grammar Patterns

a/an + tower

the + tower

tower + of + noun

2. A tall metal structure built to send out television, radio, or mobile phone sign

2.nounB1
Definition

A tall metal structure built to send out television, radio, or mobile phone signals over a large area.

Example

Ziad works for the company that maintains the radio tower on the hill.

collocation: radio tower

The television tower collapsed during the storm and cut off the signal.

Common collocations
  • radio tower
  • television tower
  • transmission tower
  • mobile-phone tower
  • cell tower
  • broadcast tower
Synonyms
  • mast

    a tall pole that supports the antenna; often used interchangeably for radio/television towers

  • antenna

    the device that actually sends or receives signals, not the supporting structure

  • pylon

    a tall metal frame for holding electrical cables, not for broadcasting signals

Grammar Patterns

a/an + tower

3. The tall upright metal or plastic box that holds the main parts of a desktop com

3.nounB1
Definition

The tall upright metal or plastic box that holds the main parts of a desktop computer, such as the processor, hard drive, and power supply.

Example

Wren bought a new tower with a faster processor and more memory.

collocation: computer tower (desktop case)

Faisal keeps his computer tower under the desk to free up space on top.

Common collocations
  • computer tower
  • desktop tower
  • tower case
Synonyms
  • desktop computer

    the whole computer system, not just the case

  • CPU case

    more technical; refers to the enclosure containing the central processing unit

Grammar Patterns

a/an + tower

the + tower

Usage Note

In everyday speech, the whole desktop computer is often called 'the tower' to distinguish it from the monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals.

Common Mistakes

I dropped my laptop tower.
I dropped my laptop.
laptops do not have towers; 'tower' only refers to desktop computer cases.

4. A person who gives you strength, comfort, and protection when you are facing a d

4.nounB2
Definition

A person who gives you strength, comfort, and protection when you are facing a difficult situation — almost always used in the fixed phrase 'a tower of strength'.

Example

During her long illness, Élise was a tower of strength for her children.

fixed phrase: a tower of strength

Andrei called his grandfather a tower of support after the family lost their home.

Common collocations
  • tower of strength
  • tower of support
Synonyms
  • pillar

    similar metaphor; 'a pillar of the community' emphasises reliability within a group rather than personal support in crisis

  • rock

    similar metaphor in 'you are my rock'; slightly more informal and emotionally intimate

  • support

    less poetic but more flexible; 'she was a great support to me' works in any register

Antonyms
  • burden

    someone who makes a difficult situation harder rather than easier

Grammar Patterns

a tower of + noun

Usage Note

This is a figurative/idiomatic use with a very restricted grammatical pattern. It almost always appears in the phrase 'a tower of strength' (or occasionally 'a tower of support'). It cannot be used literally to describe a person who is physically tall, and it is not used flexibly (e.g. ✗ 'She is my tower.' without the 'of strength' complement is unnatural).

Common Mistakes

My father is my tower.
My father is a tower of strength.
the phrase requires 'tower of strength'; using 'tower' alone sounds unnatural in this figurative sense.
Idioms

a tower of strength

idiom

A person who gives you strong support and comfort during difficult times.

When Maya lost her job, her friend Diego was a tower of strength.

Is your mother a tower of strength when you face problems?

tower — verb

Word family

  • towering
    adjectiveB2
  • towery
    adjectiveC2
  • towered
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words refer to tall, narrow structures, but each has a specific use. A 'tower' is the broadest term — it can be any tall building or part of a building, from a castle watchtower to a modern office tower. A 'spire' is specifically the pointed top of a tower, typically on a church; the term emphasises the tapering cone shape. 'Steeple' is the entire church tower plus its spire — it refers to the whole vertical structure of a church, not just the top. 'Minaret' is a type of tower found on mosques, from which the call to prayer is made; it is a cultural and architectural specific term. 'Skyscraper' is a very tall, modern building in a city, usually made of steel and glass, and is much larger than a traditional tower. For example, you might say 'the church steeple is visible from miles away,' but you would not say 'the skyscraper steeple' — these terms are not interchangeable.

tower ↗spire ↗skyscraper ↗minaretsteeple

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • tower of strength
  • tower block
  • tower above the rest
  • ivory tower

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'tower' entered English from the Old French 'tur' (later 'tour'), which came from the Latin 'turris' meaning 'a tower, fortress, or high building'. The Latin word itself may have come from an even older Mediterranean language, possibly Etruscan or Greek ('tyrris'). The verb sense, 'to rise high above,' developed in the 1500s from the noun's image of something standing tall over its surroundings.