The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bower \Bo"wer\, n. [From Bow, v. & n.]
One who bows or bends.
(Naut.) An anchor carried at the bow of a ship.
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A muscle that bends a limb, esp. the arm. [Obs.]
His rawbone arms, whose mighty brawned bowers Were wont to rive steel plates and helmets hew.
--Spenser.Best bower, Small bower. See the Note under Anchor.
Usage examples of "small bower".
The rain had stopped and the Minnie was alongside, receiving the Ariel's wine and tobacco: far, far astern the Humbug could be seen sweeping for the lost small bower.
He saw her small bower splash down, followed by her streamanchor: there she lay, her sails clewed up, right athwart the Caroline, within pistol-shot of the shore.
Mr Rattray, bend another shot of cable to the small bower, if you please.
When they had dropped the small bower they could see not only the galley lying on an even keel down there upon a coral plateau fifty vards wide but the encrusted anchor of some ancient wreck far deeper and their own cable running away and away.
But this was not all: even before the small bower was fished, the jib, forestaysail and foretopgallant had appeared and the frigate was moving faster and faster through the water, heading almost straight for the Nore light.
But since then two carronades, intended not for the Leopard but for the settlement of Port Jackson and therefore carried in the hold, had been located and brought within reach of the main hatchway: these, made fast to the kedge, would give them an anchor not far from the weight of the small bower, enough for her to ride at single anchor, given good holding ground and a moderate tide.