'Bow' definitions:

Definition of 'bow'

(from WordNet)
noun
A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces [syn: bow, bowknot]
noun
A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands; used in playing certain stringed instruments
noun
Front part of a vessel or aircraft; "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line" [syn: bow, fore, prow, stem]
noun
A weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow
noun
Something curved in shape [syn: bow, arc]
noun
Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting [syn: bow, bowing, obeisance]
noun
An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience [syn: bow, curtain call]
noun
A decorative interlacing of ribbons
noun
A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
verb
Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head; "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame" [syn: bow, bow down]
verb
Yield to another's wish or opinion; "The government bowed to the military pressure" [syn: submit, bow, defer, accede, give in]
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" [syn: crouch, stoop, bend, bow]
verb
Play on a string instrument with a bow

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \Bow\ (bou), v. i.
  • 1. To bend; to curve. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To stop. [Archaic] [1913 Webster]
  • They stoop, they bow down together. --Is. xlvi. 2? [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; -- often with down. [1913 Webster]
  • O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. --Ps. xcv. 6. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow. [1913 Webster]
  • Admired, adored by all circling crowd, For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved. [1913 Webster]
  • We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny. --Prescott. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline. [1913 Webster]
  • Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
  • Not to bow and bias their opinions. --Fuller. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension. [1913 Webster]
  • They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. --2 Kings ii. 15. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;? to crush; to subdue. [1913 Webster]
  • Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 5. To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \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.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow. [1913 Webster]
  • I do set my bow in the cloud. --Gen. ix. 13. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string. [1913 Webster]
  • 4. The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 6. An arcograph. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]
  • 8. (Naut.) A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea. [1913 Webster]
  • 9. (Saddlery) sing. or pl. Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree. [1913 Webster]
  • 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.] [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Bow'

From: GCIDE
  • Bow \Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [Icel. b[=o]gr shoulder, bow of a ship. See Bough.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. (Naut.) The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. (Naut.) One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar. [1913 Webster]
  • Bow chaser (Naut.), a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel. --Totten. [1913 Webster]
  • 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. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'bow'

From: Easton
  • Bow The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase (Gen. 21:20; 27:3; 48:22). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow (1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2; 2 Chr. 14:8; 17:17); so also were the Elamites (Isa. 22:6) and the Lydians (Jer. 46:9). The Hebrew word commonly used for bow means properly to tread (1 Chr. 5:18; 8:40), and hence it is concluded that the foot was employed in bending the bow. Bows of steel (correctly "copper") are mentioned (2 Sam. 22:35; Ps. 18:34).
  • The arrows were carried in a quiver (Gen. 27:3; Isa. 22:6; 49:2; Ps. 127:5). They were apparently sometimes shot with some burning material attached to them (Ps. 120:4).
  • The bow is a symbol of victory (Ps. 7:12). It denotes also falsehood, deceit (Ps. 64:3, 4; Hos. 7:16; Jer. 9:3).
  • "The use of the bow" in 2 Sam. 1:18 (A.V.) ought to be "the song of the bow," as in the Revised Version.

Synonyms of 'bow'

From: Moby Thesaurus

Words containing 'Bow'