bow

Plural: bows

Noun

• a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
• a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands; used in playing certain stringed instruments
• front part of a vessel or aircraft
  • "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line"
• a weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow
• something curved in shape
• bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
• an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
• a decorative interlacing of ribbons
• a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
• A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
• A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
• A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
• A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
• 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.
• Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
• The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
• Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
• 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.
• A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
• Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddle tree.
• The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
• Either of the two handles of a pair of scissors.
• A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence
• The front of a boat or ship.
• The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
• Obsolete spelling of bough.
• Alternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads
• Ellipsis of bow-wow

Verb

Verb Forms: bowed, bowing, bows

• To bend the head or body forward as a sign of respect.
• bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head
  • "He bowed before the King"
  • "She bowed her head in shame"
• yield to another's wish or opinion
  • "The government bowed to the military pressure"
• bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting
  • "He bowed before the King"
• bend one's back forward from the waist on down
  • "She bowed before the Queen"
• play on a string instrument with a bow
• To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
• To become bent or curved.
• To make something bend or curve.
• To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
• To humble or subdue, to make submit.
• To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
• To debut.
• To defer (to something).
• To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.
• about to
• Ellipsis of bow-wow

Intj

• Ellipsis of bow-wow

Examples

• After her incredible bingo, his opponent could only BOW in defeat.
• He made a polite bow as he entered the room.
• I bow to your better judgement in the matter.
• That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.
• The musician bowed his violin expertly.
• The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.

Synonyms

accede, arc, bend, bow down, bowing, bowknot, crouch, curtain call, defer, fore, give in, obeisance, prow, stem, stoop, submit, curve, fiddlestick, forestem, musical bow, prore

Antonyms

aft, poop, stern

Related Words

bow chicka wow wow, bow diddley, buxom, coll'arco, curtsey, diddley bow, elbow, kowtow, throw them bows

Anagrams of bow