bow

noun

1. 1

   A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.

   Holonym: bow and arrow

   Bows come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and cultures, and what is true of one, is not necessarily true of another, so we're gonna be stereotyping here, but, in general, a bow is a way of launching a pointy stick at somebody that you don't like.

2. 2

   A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).

3. 3

   A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.

4. 4

   A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.

5. 5

   A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.

6. 6

   Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.

   I do set my bow in the cloud.

7. 7

   The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.

8. 8

   Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.

   […] she kept toying with a pair of old sunglasses which lay beside her on the kitchen table. One of the bows had been mended with adhesive tape, and one of the lenses was cracked.

9. 9

   Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.

10. 10

    A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.

11. 11

    Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddle tree.

12. 12

    The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.

13. 13

    Either of the two handles of a pair of scissors.

verb

1. 1

   To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.

   The musician bowed his violin expertly.

2. 2

   To bend or curve, particularly downward.

   The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.

   How long wil ye imagine mischiefe against a man? ye shall be slaine all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

   […] as when we bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their naturall ſtraitneſſe.

   The whole nation […]bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.

3. 3

   figurativeTo exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend or incline, figuratively; to humble or subdue.

   Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.

   not to bow and bias their opinions

   Know thou the secret of a spirit Bow’d from its wild pride into shame.

verb

1. 1

   To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.

   The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said, "Follow me and I will show you your room."

   I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.

   That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.

2. 2

   To debut.

   The show bowed in the first week of December, 1951. Dinah was ready, and so were the technicians who put on her makeup […]

   SCP recently announced that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will bow on the newly renovated stage next December.

3. 3

   To defer (to something).

   I bow to your better judgement in the matter.

4. 4

   To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.

   “This way, monsieur,” he said, and led the way up the broad, marble staircase. In another moment he had opened a door, and, drawing aside a heavy curtain, obsequiously bowed Tarzan into a dimly lighted apartment. Then Jacques vanished.

   Poirot rose gallantly, bowed her into the seat opposite him.

   He saw himself, in a smart suit and a songkok, bowed into the opulent suites of Ritzes and Waldorfs and baring, under dark glasses, a hairy chest to a milder sun by a snakeless sea.

5. 5

   To give up or cease resisting.

   I'll never bow to that tyrant.

noun

1. 1

   A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence

   He made a polite bow as he entered the room.

noun

1. 1

   The front of a boat or ship.

   Holonyms: watercraft < vessel

   Meronyms: beak, beak, beakhead

   The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow, though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity.

2. 2

   The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.

noun

1. 1

   Variant of boughobsoleteObsolete spelling of bough.

   Where the Bee ſucks, there ſuck I, / In a Cowſlips bell, I lie, / There I cowch when Owles doe crie, / On the Batts backe I doe flie / after Sommer merrily. / Merrily, merrily, ſhall I liue now / Vnder the bloſſom that hangs on the Bow.

   [Y]ou are to faſten that line to any bow neer to a hole where a Pike is, or is likely to lye, or to have a haunt, […]

noun

1. 1

   Variant of baoAlternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads

verb

1. 1

   about to

interjection

1. 1

   Variant of bow-wowEllipsis of bow-wow

noun

1. 1

   Variant of bow-wowEllipsis of bow-wow

verb

1. 1

   Variant of bow-wowEllipsis of bow-wow

Forms

plural

bows

past tense

bowed

past participle

bowed

present participle

bowing

third person singular

bows