A scow, in the original sense, is a flat bottomed boat, often used to haul garbage or similar bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.

Inland lake scows

In the early 20th century, scows became popular sailboats on inland lakes throughout the midwestern United States. First popularized by Johnson Boat Works in Minnesota, these boats were distinguished by their larger sail plans, retractable bilgeboards, and (in some classes) twin rudders. There are many active racing classes throughout the Midwest and parts of the South. These boats are traditionally identified by their class letters:

• A: The largest inland lake scow at 38 feet long, the A normally requires a crew of six or seven. The sail plan includes a mainsail, a jib, and a large symmetrical spinnaker. It has twin rudders.
• E: This is essentially a smaller version of the A scow. Only 28 feet long, it requires a crew of three or four.
• M16: This 16-foot scow crews two, and has a mainsail and jib but no spinnaker. It has dual rudders like the A and the E.
• C: This is a 20-foot catboat with one large sail set far forward on the hull. It requires a crew of two or three. Unlike the A and E, the C-scow has a large, single rudder.
• MC: The MC is a "mini-C" of sorts, a 16-foot cat-rigged boat with a relatively higher and narrower sailplan. It also has a large single rudder.
• 17 Introduced in 2005 by Melges Boat Works, the 17 is a departure from traditional scow design. It has an asymmetrical spinnaker and retractable bowsprit, a high-roach full-battened mainsail, and unusually long and thin rudder and bilgeboards.

Slang usage

In slang, the word "scow" has recently acquired two new senses, which refer to motor vehicles:

• The first colloquial sense calls a dump truck a "scow."
• Extending the first colloquial sense, "scow" is sometimes used to refer to a pickup truck, sport utility vehicle, or minivan as a class; or any similar large, tall, or long vehicle.