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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.


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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

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.

See Examples For:

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

In her sequin blazer, red pants, black boots, bow tie and wide-brim hat, the 11-year-old mirrored his musical gestures, never missing a beat.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 13, 2026

Bad Bunny went for a classic tux and bow tie.

From BBC Feb. 1, 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

Use the construction paper to create personal touches, like eyelashes, beauty marks, even a bow tie.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

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