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bow tie

American  
[boh] / boʊ /

noun

  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.


bow tie British  
/ bəʊ /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bow tie

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Director Spike Lee, with wife Tonya Lewis Lee, showed his distinctive style with a suit featuring a purple fedora hat and matching bow tie, and a bag made of silver cassettes.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 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

Wearing a cowboy hat and bow tie, Rogers chews his gum.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2025

“Your bow tie is very nice,” Laney commented, followed by, “Does the Beiderman like cheese croissants?”

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser