Bow word meaning and definition

[noun] a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
[noun] a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument
[noun] curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows
[noun] front part of a vessel or aircraft; "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line"
[noun] a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
[noun] a decorative interlacing of ribbons
[noun] an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
[noun] bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
[noun] something curved in shape
[verb] submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; "The government bowed to the military pressure"
[verb] bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head; "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame"
[verb] play on a string instrument
[verb] bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting; "He bowed before the King"
[verb] bend one's back forward from the waist on down; "he crouched down"; "She bowed before the Queen"; "The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse"

\Bow\ (bou), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bowing}.] [OE. bowen, bogen, bugen, AS. b[=u]gan (generally v. i.); akin to D. buigen, OHG. biogan, G. biegen, beugen, Icel. boginn bent, beygja to bend, Sw. b["o]ja, Dan. b["o]ie, bugne, Coth. biugan; also to L. fugere to flee, Gr. ?, and Skr. bhuj to bend. [root]88. Cf. {Fugitive}.] 1. To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved. We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness. --Milton. The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny. --Prescott. 2. To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline. Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. --Bacon. Not to bow and bias their opinions. --Fuller. 3. To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension. They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. --2 Kings ii. 15. 4. To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;? to crush; to subdue. Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave. --Shak. 5. To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
\Bow\ (bou), v. i. 1. To bend; to curve. [Obs.] 2. To stop. [Archaic] They stoop, they bow down together. --Is. xlvi. 2? 3. To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; -- often with down. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. --Ps. xcv. 6. 4. To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow. Admired, adored by all circling crowd, For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed. --Dryden.
\Bow\ (bou), n. An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
\Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [OE. bowe, boge, AS. boga, fr. AS. b[=u]gan to bend; akin to D. boog, G. bogen, Icel. bogi. See {Bow}, v. t.] 1. Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow. I do set my bow in the cloud. --Gen. ix. 13. 2. A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled. 3. An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string. 4. The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke. 5. (Mus.) An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument. 6. An arcograph. 7. (Mech. & Manuf.) 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 the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters. 8. (Naut.) A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea. 9. (Saddlery) sing. or pl. Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree. {Bow bearer} (O. Eng. Law), an under officer of the forest who looked after trespassers. {Bow drill}, a drill worked by a bow and string. {Bow instrument} (Mus.), any stringed instrument from which the tones are produced by the bow. {Bow window} (Arch.) See {Bay window}. {To draw a long bow}, to lie; to exaggerate. [Colloq.]
\Bow\ (b[=o]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bowing}.] To play (music) with a bow. -- v. i. To manage the bow.
\Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [Icel. b[=o]gr shoulder, bow of a ship. See {Bough}.] 1. (Naut.) The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow. 2. (Naut.) One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar. {Bow chaser} (Naut.), a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel. --Totten. {Bow piece}, a piece of ordnance carried at the bow of a ship. {On the bow} (Naut.), on that part of the horizon within 45[deg] on either side of the line ahead. --Totten.

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