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

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
5. 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

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

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