to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.
to yield; submit: to bow to the inevitable.
to bend or curve downward; stoop: the pines bowed low.
verb (used with object)
to bend or incline (the knee, body, or head) in worship, submission, respect, civility, agreement, etc.: He bowed his head to the crowd.
to cause to submit; subdue; crush.
to cause to stoop or incline: Age had bowed his head.
to express by a bow: to bow one's thanks.
to usher (someone) with a bow (usually followed by in, out, etc.): They were bowed in by the footman.
to cause to bend; make curved or crooked.
noun
an inclination of the head or body in salutation, assent, thanks, reverence, respect, submission, etc.
Verb Phrases
bow out, to resign a position or withdraw from a job, competition, obligation, etc.: He bowed out after two terms as governor.
Idioms
bow and scrape, to be excessively polite or deferential.
make one's bow, to appear publicly for the first time, as a performer, politician, etc.: The young pianist made her bow last night to an appreciative audience.
take a bow, to step forward or stand up in order to receive recognition, applause, etc.: The conductor had the soloists take a bow.
Origin of bow
1
before 900;Middle Englishbowen (v.), Old Englishbūgan; cognate with Dutchbuigen; akin to Germanbiegen,Gothicbiugan,Old Norsebuga, etc.
Related formsbowed·ness, nounbow·ing·ly, adverbCan be confusedboughbow
Old English būgan, related to Old Norse bjūgr bent, Old High German biogan to bend, Dutch buigen
bow
2
noun
a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, metal, etc bent by a string (bowstring) fastened at each endSee also crossbow
a long slightly curved stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing the strings of a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument
a stroke with such a stick
a decorative interlacing of ribbon or other fabrics, usually having two loops and two loose ends
the knot forming such an interlacing; bowknot
something that is curved, bent, or arched
(in combination)rainbow; oxbow; saddlebow
a person who uses a bow and arrow; archer
US
a frame of a pair of spectacles
a sidepiece of the frame of a pair of spectacles that curls round behind the ear
a metal ring forming the handle of a pair of scissors or of a large old-fashioned key
architectpart of a building curved in the form of a bowSee also bow window
verb
to form or cause to form a curve or curves
to make strokes of a bow across (violin strings)
Word Origin for bow
Old English boga arch, bow; related to Old Norse bogi a bow, Old High German bogo, Old Irish bocc, and bow1
Old English bugan "to bend, to bow down, to bend the body in condescension," also "to turn back" (class II strong verb; past tense beag, past participle bogen), from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cf. Dutch buigen, Middle Low German bugen, Old High German biogan, German biegen, Gothic biugan "to bend," Old Norse boginn "bent"), from *beugen, from PIE root *bheug- (3) "to bend," with derivatives referring to bent, pliable, or curved objects (cf. Sanskrit bhujati "bends, thrusts aside;" Old High German boug, Old English beag "a ring"). The noun in this sense is first recorded 1650s. Related: Bowed; bowing. Bow out "withdraw" is from 1942.
bow
n.1
weapon for shooting arrows, Old English boga "archery bow, arch, rainbow," from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cf. Old Norse bogi, Old Frisian boga, Dutch boog, German Bogen "bow;" see bow (v.)). The sense of "a looped knot" is from 1540s. The musician's bow (1570s) formerly was curved like the archer's. Bowlegged is attested from 1550s.
bow
n.2
"front of a ship," mid-14c., from Old Norse bogr or Middle Dutch boech "bow of a ship," literally "shoulder (of an animal)," the connecting notion being "the shoulders of the ship." See bough.
Depart, withdraw, resign, as in After five years as chairman, I felt it was time I bowed out, or We'll have to beat them; they'll never bow out. [First half of 1900s]
