Definitions for bow
boʊbow

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. bow, bowknotnoun

   a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

2. bownoun

   a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands; used in playing certain stringed instruments

3. bow, fore, prow, stemnoun

   front part of a vessel or aircraft

   "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line"

4. bownoun

   a weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow

5. bow, arcnoun

   something curved in shape

6. bow, bowing, obeisancenoun

   bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting

7. bow, curtain callnoun

   an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience

8. bownoun

   a decorative interlacing of ribbons

9. bowverb

   a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments

10. bow, bow downverb

    bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head

    "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame"

11. submit, bow, defer, accede, give inverb

    yield to another's wish or opinion

    "The government bowed to the military pressure"

12. bowverb

    bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting

    "He bowed before the King"

13. crouch, stoop, bend, bowverb

    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"

14. bowverb

    play on a string instrument with a bow

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bownoun

   The front of a boat or ship.

2. Etymology: From bugan, from beuganan. Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Bownoun

   An act of reverence or submission, by bending the body.

   Etymology: from the verb. It is pronounced, like the verb, as now, how.

   Some clergy too she wou’d allow,
   Nor quarrel’d at their awkward bow. Jonathan Swift.

2. Bownoun

   1. An instrument of war, made by holding wood or metal bent with a string, which, by its spring, shoots arrows with great force.

   Take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison. Gen. xxvii. 3.

   The white faith of hist’ry cannot show,
   That e’er the musket yet could beat the bow. Charles Aleyn, Henry VII.

   Twining woody haunts, or the tough yew
   To bows strong-straining. James Thomson, Autumn.

   2. A rainbow.

   I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. Gen. ix. 13.

   3. The instrument with which string-instruments are struck.

   Their instruments were various in their kind;
   Some for the bow, and some for breathing wind:
   The sawtry, pipe, and hautboy’s noisy band,
   And the soft lute trembling beneath the touching hand. John Dryden, Fables.

   4. The doubling of a string in a slip-knot.

   Make a knot, and let the second knot be with a bow. Richard Wiseman, Surgery.

   5. A yoke.

   As the ox hath his bow, Sir, the horse his curb, and the faulcon his bells, so man hath his desire. William Shakespeare, As you like it.

   6. Bow of a saddle.The bows of a saddle are two pieces of wood laid archwise, to receive the upper part of a horse’s back, to give the saddle its due form, and to keep it tight. Farrier’s D.7. Bow of a ship. That part of her which begins at the loof, and compassing ends of the stern, and ends at the sternmost parts of the forecastle. If a ship hath a broad bow, they call it a bold bow; if a narrow thin bow, they say she hath a lean bow. The piece of ordnance that lies in this place, is called the bowpiece; and the anchors that hang here, are called her great and little bowers.8. Bow is also a mathematical instrument, made of wood, formerly used by seamen in taking the sun’s altitude.9. Bowis likewise a beam of wood or brass, with three long screws, that direct a lath of wood or steel to any arch; used commonly to draw draughts of ships, projections of the sphere, or wherever it is requisite to draw long arches. John Harris

3. To BOWverb

   Etymology: bugen, Saxon.

   1. To bend, or inflect.

   A threepence bow’d, would hire me,
   Old as I am, to queen it. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   Orpheus, with his lute, made trees,
   And the mountain tops, that freeze,
   Bow themselves when he did sing. William Shakespeare, Henry VIII.

   Some bow the vines, which bury’d in the plain,
   Their tops in distant arches rise again. John Dryden, Virgil.

   The mind has not been made obedient to discipline, when at first it was most tender, and most easy to be bowed. John Locke.

   2. To bend the body in token of respect or submission.

   They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 2 Kings, ii. 15.

   Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the Lord? Isaiah, lviii. 5.

   3. To bend, or incline, in condescension.

   Let it not grieve thee to bow down thine ear to the poor, and give him a friendly answer. Ecclus, iv. 8.

   4. To depress; to crush.

   Are you so gospell’d,
   To pray for this good man, and for his issue,
   Whose heavy hand hath bow’d you to the grave,
   And beggar’d yours for ever. William Shakespeare, Macbeth.

   Now wasting years my former strength confound,
   And added woes may bow me to the ground. Alexander Pope.

4. To Bowverb

   1. To bend; to suffer flexure.2. To make a reverence.

   Rather let my head
   Stoop to the block, than these knees bow to any,
   Save to the God of heav’n, and to my king. William Shakespeare, H. VI.

   This is the great idol to which the world bows; to this we pay our devoutest homage. Decay of Piety.

   Admir’d, ador’d by all the circling crowd,
   For wheresoe’er she turn’d her face, they bow’d. Dryden.

   3. To stoop.

   The people bowed down upon their knees, to drink water. Judges, vii. 6.

   4. To sink under pressure.

   They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden. Isaiah, xlvi. 2.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bow

   A bow can have several meanings: 1. A knot tied with two loops and two loose ends used especially for tying shoelaces and decorative ribbons. 2. A weapon used for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of wood joined at both ends by a taut string. 3. A gesture expressing respect, gratitude, or subservience, where one bends the waist or sometimes fully prostrates oneself. 4. The front of a ship or boat. 5. A device used for playing string instruments such as violins, made of a curved stick with tightly stretched horsehair strands attached to it. The context of the sentence would determine which definition applies.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Bowverb

   to cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved

2. Bowverb

   to exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline

3. Bowverb

   to bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension

4. Bowverb

   to cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;/ to crush; to subdue

5. Bowverb

   to express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks

6. Bowverb

   to bend; to curve

7. Bowverb

   to stop

8. Bowverb

   to bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; -- often with down

9. Bowverb

   to incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow

10. Bownoun

    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

11. Bowverb

    anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow

12. Bowverb

    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

13. Bowverb

    an ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string

14. Bowverb

    the U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke

15. Bowverb

    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

16. Bowverb

    an arcograph

17. Bowverb

    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

18. Bowverb

    a rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea

19. Bow

    two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree

20. Bowverb

    to play (music) with a bow

21. Bow

    to manage the bow

22. Bownoun

    the bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow

23. Bownoun

    one who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Bow

   bow, v.i. to bend the body in saluting a person, acknowledging a compliment, &c.: to submit.—v.t. to bend or incline downwards, to crush down (with down, to, in or out, up or down).—n. a bending of the body in saluting a person.—adj. Bow′-backed, crook-backed.—A bowing acquaintance, a slight acquaintance.—To make one's bow, to retire ceremoniously, to leave the stage. [A.S. búgan, to bend; akin to L. fug-ĕre, to flee, to yield.]

2. Bow

   bō, n. a piece of elastic wood or other material for shooting arrows, bent by means of a string stretched between its two ends: anything of a bent or curved shape, as the rainbow: the instrument by which the strings of a violin are sounded: a ring of metal forming a handle: a knot composed of one or of two loops and two ends (single bow, double bow), a looped knot of ribbons, a necktie or the like, so tied.—adj. Bow′bent (Milton), bent like a bow.—n. Bow′-boy, a boy archer: (Shak.) Cupid.—n.pl. Bow′-com′passes, compasses, one leg of which slides on a bow or curved plate of metal to steady its motion: a small pair of compasses for describing circles with ink or pencil.—adj. Bowed.—ns. Bow′-hand, in archery, the left hand, the one by which the bow is held: (mus.) the right hand, the one that draws the bow; Bow′-leg, a leg crooked like a bow.—adj. Bow′-legged, having crooked legs.—ns. Bow′line, a rope from the weather side of the square sails (to which it is fastened by bridles) to the larboard or starboard bow, to keep the sail close to the wind; Bow′man, an archer; Bow′shot, the distance to which an arrow can be shot from a bow; Bow′string, the string by which a bow is drawn: a string with which the Turks strangled offenders; Bow′-win′dow, a bent or semicircular window.—adj. Bow′-win′dowed (slang), pot-bellied.—n. Bow′yer (obs.), a bowman: a maker of bows.—Bowline knot, a simple but secure knot, used in fastening the bowline bridles to the cringles.—On the bow hand, wide of the mark.—To draw the long bow, to make extravagant statements; To have two (or more) strings to one's bow, to have other alternatives. [A.S. boga; cog. with Ger. bogen.]

3. Bow

   bow, n. the general name for the stem and forepart of a ship, or that which cuts the water—often used in pl., the ship being considered to have starboard and port bows, meeting at the stem.—ns. Bow′er, Bow′er-anch′or, an anchor at the bow or forepart of a ship—usually two, the best-bower and the small-bower; Bow′-oar, the oar nearest the bow.—A bold, or bluff, bow, a broad bow; A lean bow, a narrow one.—On the bow, within 45° of the point right ahead.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bow

   The fore-end of a ship or boat; being the rounding part of a vessel forward, beginning on both sides where the planks arch inwards, and terminating where they close, at the rabbet of the stem or prow, being larboard or starboard from that division. A bold bow is broad and round; a lean bow, narrow and thin.--On the bow. An arc of the horizon (not exceeding 45°) comprehended between some distant object and that point of the compass which is right ahead. Four points on either bow is met by four points before the beam.

2. bow

   An astronomical instrument formerly used at sea, consisting of only one large graduated arc of 90°, three vanes, and a shank or staff. Also the bow of yew, a weapon of our early fleets.

3. bow

   She bows to the breeze; when the sails belly out full, and the ship inclines and goes ahead, pitching or bowing over the blue waves.

Military Dictionary and GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bow

   A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which, when drawn back and suffered to return, an arrow is propelled.

Editors ContributionRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. bow

   A type of tool or piece of equipment created and designed in various colors, materials, mechanisms, sizes and styles used to play an instrument with strings.

   Musicians use a bow to play a violin, cello, double bass and the viola.

   
   

   Submitted by anonymous on November 15, 2015  

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. BOW

   What does BOW stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the BOW acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Bow

   From the ancient stone bridge over the Lea, which was the first ever built in this country on a bow or arch.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. BOW

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bow is ranked #16909 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Bow surname appeared 1,684 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 would have the surname Bow.
   
   70% or 1,180 total occurrences were White.
   9.9% or 168 total occurrences were Black.
   7.9% or 134 total occurrences were Asian.
   4.7% or 80 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
   4.6% or 78 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   2.6% or 44 total occurrences were of two or more races.

Matched Categories

1. • Change Posture
   • Curved Shape
   • Front
   • Knot
   • Ornament
   • Stick
   • Thanks
   • Weapon
   • Yield

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'bow' in Nouns Frequency: #2449

2. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'bow' in Verbs Frequency: #924

Anagrams for bow »

1. wob

How to pronounce bow?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say bow in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of bow in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of bow in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of bow in a Sentence

1. Paul Lavery:

   ( SWNS) He also has an impressive array of outfits in the videos, complete witha selection of over 300 bow ties to choose from.We always try to match his bow tie to what hes balancing on his head. We try to do themes for Halloween, Christmas and Easter too.

2. William Butler Yeats:

   The only business of the head in the world is to bow a ceaseless obeisance to the heart.

3. Noah Bookbinder:

   President Trump's decision to award the G-7 Conference to President Trump own property was outrageous, corrupt and a constitutional violation. It was stunningly corrupt even for a stunningly corrupt administration, president Trump reversal of that decision is a bow to reality, but does not change how astonishing it was that a president ever thought this was appropriate, or that it was something he could get away with.

4. Robert Frost:

   Ah, when to the heart of man Was it ever less than a treason To go with the drift of things To yield with a grace to reason And bow and accept at the end Of a love or a season.

5. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani:

   Implementation Day -- I thank God for this blessing bow to the greatness of the patient nation of Iran. Congrats on this glorious victory!

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=bow
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Bow
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=bow
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bow
6. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=bow
7. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=bow
8. ^ Military Dictionary and Gazetteer
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/59563/pg59563-images.html
9. ^ Etymology and Origins
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54657/pg54657-images.html#:~:text=bow
10. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
    https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html