A bowler is someone who plays the game of bowling, where you roll a heavy ball down a long wooden lane to knock down ten pins arranged in a triangle. Bowlers develop their own style and technique, learning to aim, spin the ball just right, and adjust for how the lane's oiled surface affects the ball's path. Professional bowlers can knock down all ten pins (a strike) with remarkable consistency, while casual bowlers enjoy the challenge and fun of improving their score with friends and family.

The word also refers to a type of hat with a rounded top and small brim, called a bowler hat or derby. Popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, this stiff felt hat became iconic when worn by Charlie Chaplin's character in silent films. Businessmen and bankers commonly wore bowler hats as everyday attire. Today you might see one at a formal event or in historical movies.

In cricket, a bowler is the player who throws (or “bowls”) the ball toward the batter, similar to a pitcher in baseball but with a straight-arm throwing motion. The bowler tries to get the batter out or prevent them from scoring runs. Great cricket bowlers master different speeds and spins to outsmart batters.