bow tie

American  

[boh] / boʊ /

noun

bow ties plural

1. a small necktie tied in a bow at the collar.

2. a sweet roll or Danish pastry having a shape similar to that of a bow tie or butterfly.

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bow tie British  

/ bəʊ /

noun

1. a man's tie tied in a bow, now chiefly in plain black for formal evening wear

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bow ties
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bow tie

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bow tie

Taylor, our cheery guide, met us wearing a short-sleeved button-down shirt and a bow tie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

A collar and bow tie, worn by Sir David Suchet as Poirot, also sold for £650.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

I know that sounds super baseball pretentious, like I should be wearing a straw hat and a bow tie, but I don’t care.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 26, 2026

Dressed in a red bow tie and holding a poster reading "I want to get married", Bazhanov caught the eye of the longtime ruler and got his chance.

From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025

One old man in a fresh lawn suit, bow tie and carpet slippers shuffled by with the help of two sticks, advancing so slowly that even the traffic was passing him.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan