What does rowing mean?
Rowing is the activity of propelling and steering a boat through water with oars. Each pull of an oar combines the work of the arms, back, and legs with the boat's forward motion, making rowing both a practical means of transport and a demanding sport. In British usage, the word commonly refers to the sport as a whole, while American usage also frequently describes the physical action of propelling a boat. A rowing crew consists of synchronized oarsmen or oarswomen, commonly seated in pairs, with one person called the coxswain steering in some events. Outside organized competition, rowing can refer to recreational exercise on a river, lake, or rowing machine. The word is also used attributively, as in “rowing boat” or “rowing club.” Although rowing has a long history as a means of travel, fishing, and communication, its modern sporting culture is associated with regattas, university crews, and endurance training.
The sport or activity of propelling a boat through water using oars.
"Rowing requires strength, balance, and close coordination among the crew."
Normally uncountable when referring to the activity; “rowings” is uncommon.
A single stroke or movement made with an oar while propelling a boat.
"The boat dipped sharply after his first rowing."
To propel or move a boat through water by pulling oars through the water.
"They rowed across the inlet before the wind rose."
The gerund form is commonly used for the activity: “rowing technique,” “rowing club,” and “rowing machine.”
Usually used in the plural only for separate instances of rowing or individual oar strokes; the sport or activity is normally uncountable.
"The judges recorded several clean rowings in the final heat."
Rowing is one of the oldest forms of transport: before engines, people moved across water one powerful oar stroke at a time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rowing come from?
The verb comes through Middle English from Old English rōwan, meaning “to row a boat.” The separate English word row in the sense of “a line of people or things” derives from a different Old English word, rāw, and is not the source of the boating sense. The activity entered organized competitive sport in the eighteenth century, with the first English rowing regatta held on the River Thames in 1775.
Related word forms
How rowing is actually used
The term is neutral in register and is used in both competitive and recreational contexts. As a countable noun, it can denote an individual stroke, but the activity as a whole is normally treated as uncountable.
Easily confused with rowing
Roaming means travelling or wandering freely, whereas rowing refers specifically to propelling a boat with oars.