Definition of "stow" [stow]

• To place or arrange, especially in a neat, compact way: stowed his gear in the footlocker. (verb-transitive)
• To fill (a place or container) by packing tightly. (verb-transitive)
• To store for future use: stowed carrots and potatoes in the root cellar. (verb-transitive)
• Slang To refrain from; stop. (verb-transitive)
• To provide lodging for; quarter. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Thus, at the mouth of the Thames, thousands of tons of sprats are caught every winter by means of the large bag net, known as the stow net."
• ""I come down here once in a while and let in the sun, and sometimes I want to hunt up something or 'nother; kind of stow-away place, ye see.""
• "At night, I was obliged to "stow" myself firmly in my berth with my cloaks and dresses, to protect my body from being bruised black and blue."