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Synonyms

bowing

American  
[boh-ing] / ˈboʊ ɪŋ /

noun

  • bowings
    plural
  1. the act or art of playing a stringed instrument with a bow.

  2. the individual way of using the bow in playing a stringed instrument, including the way in which the musician approaches the music emotionally, the articulation of individual notes, and the manner in which the notes of a passage are grouped together.


bowing British  
/ ˈbəʊɪŋ /

noun

  1. the technique of using the bow in playing a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument

"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

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of bowing

First recorded in 1830–40; bow 2 + -ing 1

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:

After all, PlayStation does have a reputation for bowing to its most feral customers’ demands throughout the decades.

From Slate Jul. 7, 2026

So, too, did the bowing of heads after the ball hit the net as this side's confidence plummeted further.

From BBC Apr. 25, 2026

"I assume full responsibility for this defeat," an ashen-faced Jospin announced, bowing out of politics to howls of dismay from supporters.

From Barron's Mar. 23, 2026

As Anthropic was bowing out, the department signed deals with two of its biggest rivals, OpenAI and xAI.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 13, 2026

Other males and females exhibit their submission to the alpha male by bowing before him while making grunting sounds, not unlike human subjects kowtowing before a king.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

“I changed his position, his bowings, his fingerings, and I was just in absolute shock that he was able to take everything in so quickly. I knew I was working with somebody special.”

From Washington Post Sep. 14, 2021

For the first time they were rehearsed properly, with clear phrasing, articulations and unified bowings for the string players.

From New York Times Feb. 14, 2020

The position — which was previously held by Peter Stumpf, who stepped down in 2012 — also entails administrative responsibility, including artistic issues, like bowings, and personnel matters.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 2, 2014

Whatever the work, he insisted on using his own set of parts, and for those that he played with "modern" as well as "period" orchestras, he had two sets with appropriate bowings.

From The Guardian Jul. 27, 2010

Finally, with many thank-yous and bowings and scrapings and warmest wishes to their beautiful wives and distinguished husbands, he departed the room.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

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