The spelling of the word "bowl out" is straightforward when taking into account its phonetic transcription. In IPA, it is written as /boʊl aʊt/. The first syllable "bowl" is pronounced with a long "o" sound, followed by a slight "w" sound before merging into the "l" sound. The second syllable "out" is pronounced with a diphthong "au" sound, which makes it sound more like "owt". Together, the word "bowl out" is pronounced as "boh-l-owt".
Bowl out is a phrasal verb with multiple meanings depending on the context.
In the realm of cricket, bowl out refers to a tiebreaker method used in limited-overs matches to determine the winner when rain or other circumstances prevent a regular conclusion. In a bowl out, each team nominates a set number of players, often five, to bowl at an unguarded set of stumps. The team that manages to hit the stumps most frequently is declared the winner. Bowl out can also be used to describe the act of dismissing a batsman by hitting the stumps with the ball during regular play in cricket.
Outside the sport, bowl out can have a more general meaning. It can refer to the act of knocking over or toppling something, like a set of bowling pins in a game of tenpin bowling. It can also denote the act of forcefully removing or ejecting someone or something from a particular place or position. This can be exemplified by phrases like "bowl out the opposition" or "bowl out a team from a competition," which would mean to eliminate or expel them from a contest or group.
Overall, bowl out encompasses different interpretations related to cricket and bowling, including tiebreaker methods in limited-overs matches and the act of dismissing a batsman by hitting the stumps, as well as more general notions of toppling objects and forcefully removing someone or something.
The etymology of the phrase "bowl out" can be traced back to the game of cricket. In cricket, the term "bowl" refers to the action of a bowler delivering the ball to the batsman. The objective of the bowler is to target the stumps (the three vertical poles behind the batsman) in order to get the batsman out. When a bowler successfully hits the stumps, causing them to fall, it is referred to as a "bowled out".
Over time, the phrase "bowl out" began to be used in a metaphorical sense beyond the context of cricket. It came to mean getting rid of or eliminating something or someone forcefully or decisively. This usage originated from the idea that hitting and dislodging the stumps forcefully represented an emphatic removal of the batsman from the game.