Definition of the word bowl over

The phrase "bowl over" is a figurative expression used to indicate that someone or something has a strong and overwhelming impact, leaving a deep impression on another person. This idiom derives its roots from the game of lawn bowls, a sport that involves rolling biased balls on a flat green surface with the objective of stopping closest to a target ball called a "jack." In bowling, when a player successfully lands their ball extremely close to or directly into the jack, it can knock over all the other balls around it, causing a dramatic and exhilarating scene. The figurative sense of being "bowled over" originated in the context of this sport to signify an event, person, or circumstance that left an equally astonishing impact, almost in the same way the opponent's ball can leave an imprint on lawn bowls. The expression gradually evolved and gained widespread popularity in other aspects of English vocabulary beyond the realm of lawn bowls to describe other aspects of intense impact, awe, or amazement.