to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.
to yield; submit: to bow to the inevitable.
to bend or curve downward; stoop: the pines bowed low.
verb (used with object)
to bend or incline (the knee, body, or head) in worship, submission, respect, civility, agreement, etc.: He bowed his head to the crowd.
to cause to submit; subdue; crush.
to cause to stoop or incline: Age had bowed his head.
to express by a bow: to bow one's thanks.
to usher (someone) with a bow (usually followed by in, out, etc.): They were bowed in by the footman.
to cause to bend; make curved or crooked.
noun
an inclination of the head or body in salutation, assent, thanks, reverence, respect, submission, etc.
Verb Phrases
bow out,to resign a position or withdraw from a job, competition, obligation, etc.: He bowed out after two terms as governor.
Idioms for bow
bow and scrape, to be excessively polite or deferential.
make one's bow, to appear publicly for the first time, as a performer, politician, etc.: The young pianist made her bow last night to an appreciative audience.
take a bow, to step forward or stand up in order to receive recognition, applause, etc.: The conductor had the soloists take a bow.
Origin of bow
1
First recorded before 900; Middle English verb bowen, Old English būgan; cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen, Gothic biugan, Old Norse buga
a flexible strip of wood or other material, bent by a string stretched between its ends, for shooting arrows: He drew the bow and sent the arrow to its target.
an instrument resembling this, used for various purposes, as rotating a drill or spindle, or loosening entangled or matted fibers.
a bend or curve.
Also called bowknot. a looped knot composed of two or more loops and two ends, as for tying together the ends of a ribbon or string.
any separate piece of looped, knotted, or shaped gathering of ribbon, cloth, paper, etc., used as a decoration, as on a package, dress, or the like.
a long rod, originally curved but now nearly straight, with horsehairs stretched from one end to the other, used for playing on a musical instrument of the violin and viol families.
a single movement of such a device over the strings of a violin, viol, or the like.
bow tie (def. 1).
something curved or arc-shaped.
a saddlebow.
an archer; bowman: He is the best bow in the county.
temple2 (def. 3).
a U-shaped piece for placing under an animal's neck to hold a yoke.
Building Trades. a flexible rod used for laying out large curves.
the part of a key grasped by the fingers.
the loop on the stem of a watch by which the watch is attached to a chain or the like.
a rainbow.
adjective
curved outward at the center; bent: bow legs.
verb (used with or without object)
to bend into the form of a bow; curve.
Music. to perform by means of a bow upon a stringed instrument.
TextilesObsolete. to loosen by passing a vibrating bow among entangled fibers.
Origin of bow
2
First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun boue, bouwe, Old English boga; cognate with Dutch boog, German Bogen, Old Norse bogi; akin to bow1
OTHER WORDS FROM bow
bowedness,nounbowless,adjectivebowlike,adjective
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bow
bode, bowed
Definition for bow (3 of 4)
bow3
[ bou ]
/ baʊ /
noun
Nautical, Aeronautics.
the forward end of a vessel or airship.
either side of this forward end, especially with reference to the direction of a distant object: a mooring two points off the port bow.
bows,Nautical. the exterior of the forward end of a vessel, especially one in which the hull slopes back on both sides of the stem.
the foremost oar in rowing a boat.
Also called bowman, bow oar. the person who pulls the foremost oar.
adjective
of or relating to the bow of a ship.
Origin of bow
3
First recorded in 1620–30; from Low German noun boog or Dutch boeg or Danish bov; see bough
Definition for bow (4 of 4)
Bow
[ boh ]
/ boʊ /
noun
Clara, 1905–65, U.S. film actress: known as the “It Girl.”
Creepy thing to wrap up in festive paper and a bow and give to a newborn baby, yeah?
Keep Christmas Commercialized!|P. J. O’Rourke|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The way it was executed was maybe not satisfying to people, and it was in no way tied up in a bow.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Well, the only way Dexter could have been tied up in a bow was if the last episode would have been the last episode of Season 4.
Michael C. Hall on Going Drag for ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ and Exorcising ‘Dexter’|Marlow Stern|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bop had produced self-conscious artists who refused to bow to conventional assumptions of what was entertaining.
How Rock and Roll Killed Jim Crow|Dennis McNally|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Unlike a normal ship, the bow slopes upward from the water up to the deck.
Can the Navy's $12 Billion Stealth Destroyer Stay Afloat?|Dave Majumdar|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The willows,” he says, “bow themselves to every wind, out of shame for their unfruitfulness.
Rubiyt of Omar Khayym and Salmn and Absl|Omar Khayym and Ralph Waldo Emerson
It relieved him to see the two ladies seated opposite each other in the bow window, and to hear something like a laugh in the air.
The Marriage of Elinor|Margaret Oliphant
It helped her to bow to the commands of this man when he bade her marry him, and she loved him!
The House of the Misty Star|Fannie Caldwell Macaulay
M. de Cussy returned the bow and accepted a seat on the locker under the stem windows.
Captain Blood|Rafael Sabatini
It has been said that the buckler, the bow, and the spear, must continue the arms of poetry.
The Lusiad|Lus de Cames
British Dictionary definitions for bow (1 of 4)
bow1
/ (baʊ) /
verb
to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, assent, or shame
to bend or cause to bend; incline downwards
(intr ; usually foll by to or before)to comply or acceptbow to the inevitable
(tr ; foll by in, out, to etc)to usher (someone) into or out of a place with bows and deferencethe manager bowed us to our car
(tr; usually foll by down)to bring (a person, nation, etc) to a state of submission
bow and scrapeto behave in an excessively deferential or obsequious way
noun
a lowering or inclination of the head or body as a mark of respect, greeting, or assent
take a bowto acknowledge or receive applause or praise
See also bow out
Word Origin for bow
Old English būgan, related to Old Norse bjūgr bent, Old High German biogan to bend, Dutch buigen
British Dictionary definitions for bow (2 of 4)
bow2
/ (bəʊ) /
noun
a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, metal, etc bent by a string (bowstring) fastened at each endSee also crossbow
a long slightly curved stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing the strings of a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument
a stroke with such a stick
a decorative interlacing of ribbon or other fabrics, usually having two loops and two loose ends
the knot forming such an interlacing; bowknot
something that is curved, bent, or arched
(in combination)rainbow; oxbow; saddlebow
a person who uses a bow and arrow; archer
US
a frame of a pair of spectacles
a sidepiece of the frame of a pair of spectacles that curls round behind the ear
a metal ring forming the handle of a pair of scissors or of a large old-fashioned key
architectpart of a building curved in the form of a bowSee also bow window
verb
to form or cause to form a curve or curves
to make strokes of a bow across (violin strings)
Word Origin for bow
Old English boga arch, bow; related to Old Norse bogi a bow, Old High German bogo, Old Irish bocc, and bow1
British Dictionary definitions for bow (3 of 4)
bow3
/ (baʊ) /
noun
mainlynautical
(often plural)the forward end or part of a vessel
(as modifier)the bow mooring line
rowing short for bowman 2
on the port bownauticalwithin 45 degrees to the port of straight ahead
on the starboard bownauticalwithin 45 degrees to the starboard of straight ahead
a shot across someone's bowsinformala warning
Word Origin for bow
C15: probably from Low German boog; related to Dutch boeg, Danish bov ship's bow, shoulder; see bough
British Dictionary definitions for bow (4 of 4)
Bow
/ (bəʊ) /
noun
Clara, known as the It Girl . 1905–65, US film actress, noted for her vivacity and sex appeal