# bow

Pronunciation: say "BOH" US /boʊ/, UK /bəʊ/

## Noun

1. A double-looped knot used to tie two cords together, as when lacing shoes or fastening an apron, and often made as decoration, for example on a gift.
   - Simple: A knot with two loops, often used to tie shoelaces or to decorate presents.
   - _The ribbon was tied into a perfect bow on top of the box._
   - _Her apron strings were fastened with a loose bow at the back._
2. A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material with a string joining its ends, used to shoot arrows.
   - Simple: A weapon made from a bent stick and a tight string, used to shoot arrows.
   - _The archer drew her bow and let the arrow fly toward the distant target._
   - _Skilled craftsmen shaped bows from single staves of yew._
4. The front section of a boat or ship. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: The front end of a ship or boat, which cuts through the water.
   - _The bow of the ship sliced cleanly through the swells._
   - _Spray flew from the bow as the vessel picked up speed._
5. An act of lowering the head or bending the upper body forward from the waist, typically as a sign of respect. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: A way of showing respect by bending your head or upper body forward.
   - _He greeted the visiting dignitary with a low bow._
   - _A respectful bow marks the beginning of each judo match._
7. A rod with horsehair, or an artificial substitute, stretched between its ends, used to play stringed instruments.
   - Simple: A thin stick with tight hairs, pulled across the strings to make music.
   - _The violinist drew her bow smoothly across the strings._
   - _He rubbed rosin along the bow before the concert._
9. Anything bent or curved in shape, such as a rainbow or a bend in a river.
   - Simple: A curved shape, like a rainbow or a bend in a river.
   - _A perfect bow of light arched across the clouds after the storm._
   - _Just past the old mill, the stream curves in a wide bow toward the lake._
14. Either of the side arms of a pair of eyeglasses, extending from the edge of the lens to rest behind the ear.
   - Simple: One of the two side parts of a pair of glasses that rest over your ears.
   - _The optician replaced a bent bow on his reading glasses._
   - _Lightweight frames often have thin metal bows that flex slightly._
16. The bark of a dog, or in childish or humorous speech a dog; a short form of bow-wow. — Ellipsis of bow-wow (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: The sound a dog makes when it barks, or a child's word for a dog. Short for bow-wow.

## Verb

3. To bend the body or head forward as a gesture of respect or deference. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: To bend your head or body forward to show respect.
   - _Visitors bow when they enter the temple._
   - _She bowed deeply before the queen._
6. To yield or submit to something, such as authority, pressure, or another person's wishes. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: To give in to someone or something more powerful.
   - _The committee finally bowed to mounting public criticism._
   - _Politicians often bow to the wishes of powerful donors._
8. To play a stringed instrument by drawing a bow across its strings.
   - Simple: To play a stringed instrument by moving a bow across the strings.
   - _The violinist bowed each note with careful precision._
   - _Players bow the lowest string to produce a deep, resonant tone._
10. To bend into a curve, or to make something do so.
   - Simple: To become curved, or to make something curved.
   - _Wooden boards bow when they absorb too much moisture._
   - _The thin metal bowed under the heavy load._
11. To make a first public appearance, or to present something publicly for the first time. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: To appear or be shown to the public for the very first time.
   - _Major films often bow at international festivals before their wide release._
   - _The network will bow its new medical drama in September, at the start of the fall season._
12. To force someone to give in or submit, or to bend them to one's will. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: To make someone give in and do what you want.
   - _The long siege finally bowed the city's exhausted defenders._
   - _Years in prison could not bow her spirit, and she walked out as defiant as ever._
13. To direct, signal, or usher someone somewhere by means of a bow. (pronounced: say "BOW" /baʊ/)
   - Simple: To guide someone into or out of a place by bowing to them.
   - _The footman bowed the duchess into the waiting carriage._
   - _The old waiter would bow us out of the restaurant as if we were royalty, holding the door open._

## Interjection

Pronunciation: say "BOW" /baʊ/

15. Used to imitate the bark of a dog; a short form of bow-wow. — Ellipsis of bow-wow
   - Simple: A word for the sound a dog makes when it barks, short for bow-wow.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The rower who occupies the seat closest to the front of the boat.
- (noun) The looped or flattened end of a key that is gripped to turn it, as distinct from the part that enters the lock.
- (noun) Either of the two looped handles of a pair of scissors, into which the fingers and thumb are inserted.
- (noun) A stringed instrument made of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between its ends, most often played by plucking.
- (noun) An instrument made of an elastic rod with a string joining its ends, used to drive a drill with back-and-forth motion or, by hatters, to prepare and arrange fur and hair.
- (noun) The U-shaped piece that passes around the neck of an ox and secures it to the yoke.
- (noun) Either of the paired wooden pieces forming the arched forward section of a saddle tree.
- (noun) A rudimentary quadrant once used at sea to measure the altitude of the sun above the horizon.
- (verb) About to; on the point of doing something.
- (verb) To bark like a dog, a shortened form of the verb bow-wow.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 7–10, 12, 14** — From Middle English bowe, from Old English boga, going back to Proto-Germanic *bugô. It is related to Dutch boog, German Bogen, and Swedish båge, all meaning 'arc, arch, or bow'.
**Meanings 3, 5–6, 11, 13** — From Middle English bowen, from Old English būgan, from Proto-Germanic *beuganą and ultimately Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- ('to bend'). It is related to Dutch buigen and German biegen, both meaning 'to bow'.
**Meaning 4** — The deepest source is *bʰeh₂ǵʰus ("arm") in Proto-Indo-European, which led to Proto-Germanic *bōguz. Middle English borrowed bowe from Middle Dutch boech and/or Middle Low German bôch. It is a doublet of bough and is related to Dutch boeg and German Bug.
**Meanings 15–16** — A clipping of 'bow-wow'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bow (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).