bow Hear it!

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bow1 definition

bow (bo̵u)

intransitive verb

  1. Dialectal to bend or stoop
  2. to bend down one's head or bend one's body in respect, agreement, worship, recognition, etc.
  3. to yield or submit, as to authority
  4. to express assent, greeting, etc. by bowing

Etymology: ME bouen < OE bugan, to bend < IE base *bheugh-, to bend > Ger biegen; the bow is 17th c.

transitive verb

  1. Dialectal to bend
  2. to bend (one's head) down in respect, prayer, shame, etc.
  3. to indicate (agreement, thanks, etc.) by bowing
  4. to weigh (down); overwhelm; crush the president was bowed down by the burdens of office

noun

a bending down of the head or body, as in respect or greeting
bow Idioms

bow and scrape

to be too polite and ingratiating

bow out

to leave or retire formally or ceremoniously

bow out

or bow in
to usher out (or in) with a bow

take a bow

to acknowledge an introduction, applause, etc. as by bowing
bow2 definition

bow (bō)

noun

  1. anything curved or bent a rainbow, oxbow
  2. a curve; bend
  3. a device for shooting arrows, made of a flexible, curved strip of wood, metal, etc. with a tightly drawn cord connecting the two ends
  4. an archer
    1. a slender stick strung along its length with horsehairs, drawn across the strings of a violin, cello, etc. to play it
    2. a stroke with such a bow
  6. a bowknot or a decorative knot, as of ribbon, with two or more loops
  7. either of the sidepieces of a pair of glasses extending over the ears; temple

Etymology: ME boue < OE boga < PGmc *boga < base of bow

adjective

bow-shaped; curved; bent

transitive verb, intransitive verb

  1. to bend or curve in the shape of a bow the wall bowed outward from the pressure
  2. Music to play (a violin, etc.) with a bow
bow3 definition

bow (bo̵u)

noun

  1. the front part of a ship, boat, or airship; prow
  2. the rower nearest the bow
  3. Naut. a direction at a 45° angle left or right from dead ahead a whale sighted on the port bow

Etymology: ME boue < LowG or Scand: LowG būg, Du boeg, Swed bog, shoulder, shoulders of a ship, bows; akin to bough

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms bow idiom

bow Synonyms

bow

n.

longbow, self-bow, union bow, crossbow, single-piece bow, back bow, stone-bow, arbalest, arbalist; see also weapon 1.


bow

n.

  1. Front of a boat

    forepart, bowsprit, prow, head, stem, fore, nose; see also front 1.

  2. A bend from the waist

    nod, bend, salaam, curtsey, obeisance, kowtow, genuflection, bowing and scraping, bob, dip.

take a bow

accept praise, be congratulated, feel honored, acknowledge applause, bow.


bow

v.

  1. To bend

    curtsey, do obeisance, stoop, dip, nod, drop, hunch over, incline, bob, duck, cower, kowtow, salaam, kneel, genuflect, prostrate oneself, bow and scrape.

    Antonyms rise*, tower*, become erect.

  2. To submit

    bend, surrender, acquiesce, capitulate; see yield 1, 3.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

bow Usage Examples

Object

  • thruster: October with fred bow thrusters three many works of.

Converse of object

  • recurve: There is a range of bows to suit, both right and left handed, traditional recurve long bows and modern compound bows.

Adjective modifier

  • starboard: At the time of attack the lights of the Red Cross Ship Newfoundland were visible, about 10 miles distant on the starboard bow.

Modifies a noun

  • thruster: However your choice of bow thruster size may be dictated by the pre-installed tube size.

Noun used with modifier

  • violin: Across her knees she flexes a large saw with one hand, while in the other she holds a violin bow.

Particle object: down_obj

  • thyself: Thou shalt not bow down thyself nor serve them... Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • down: Shall I bow down to a block of wood?
bow usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

bow quotes

I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be fora token of a covenant between me and the earth.

-Bible (Old Testament)

And God spake all these words, saying,Iamthe L thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that isinheaven above, or that isin the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the L thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thoushalt nottakethename of the L thy God invain; for the L will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Remember thesabbath day, to keep it holy. Six daysthou shalt labour and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the L thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the L made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the L blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long uponthelandwhichtheL thy Godgiveththee. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

-Bible (Old Testament)

A certain man drewa bowat a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness.

-Bible (Old Testament)

bow quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"bow." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/bow>

APA Style

bow. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/bow

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