English
bow
Pronunciation Noun

bow (plural bows)

  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.
  2. A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
  3. A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
  4. A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
  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. Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
    • Bible, Genesis ix. 13
      I do set my bow in the cloud.
  7. The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
  8. Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
  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. (nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
  11. (saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
  12. The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
    cot en
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

bow (bows, present participle bowing; past and past participle bowed)

  1. To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
    The musician bowed his violin expertly.
  2. (intransitive) To become bent or curved.
    The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Psalms 62:3 ↗:
      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.
  3. (transitive) To make something bend or curve.
    • 1644, J[ohn] M[ilton], chapter I, in The Doctrine or Discipline of Divorce: […] in Two Books: […], 2nd edition, London: [s.n.], OCLC 868004604 ↗, book II, page 32 ↗:
      {...}} 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.
  4. (transitive, figurative) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
    • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Atheism
      Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
    • not to bow and bias their opinions
  5. (intransitive) To premiere.
    Cronenberg’s "Cosmopolis" bows in Cannes this week.
Translations
  • German: streichen
  • Portuguese: tocar (com arco)
Translations Translations Pronunciation Verb

bow (bows, present participle bowing; past and past participle bowed)

  1. (intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
    • 1900, L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
      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."
    That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.
  2. (transitive and intransitive) To debut.
    • 2010 (publication date), Kara Krekeler, "Rebuilding the opera house", West End Word, volume 39, number 26, December 22, 2010 – January 11, 2011, page 1:
      SCP recently announced that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will bow on the newly renovated stage next December.
  3. (intransitive) To defer (to something).
    I bow to your better judgement in the matter.
  4. (transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.
Related terms Translations Noun

bow (plural bows)

  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.
Translations Pronunciation Noun

bow (plural bows)

  1. (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
  2. (rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Noun

bow (plural bows)

  1. (obsolete) Alternative spelling of bough
    • 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act V, scene i], page 17 ↗:
      smallcaps Ariell:
      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.
Bow
Pronunciation
  • (UK (places)) IPA: /bəʊ/
Proper noun
  1. Surname
  2. A suburb in eastern London.
  3. A village in Devon, England.


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