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

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

And veteran director Spike Lee brought a splash of color to his ensemble of muted neutrals with a bright purple hat and bow tie.

From Barron's ● Mar. 15, 2026

Last year, a pink-and-green striped bow tie he wore when introducing the Macintosh computer in 1984 sold for more than $35,000 at a Julien’s Auctions event that highlighted technology and history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026

Dressed in a polka-dotted bow tie and snazzy jacket like a game show host, Mr. Lemoncello had one arm resting on a slender Plexiglas podium.

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein