Bow

[baʊ]

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 instruments.

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

(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 or greeting.

(noun.) something curved in shape.

(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 with a bow.

(verb.) bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting; 'He bowed before the King'.

Typed by Ina--From WordNet

Definition

(v. t.) To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.

(v. t.) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.

(v. t.) To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.

(v. t.) To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;/ to crush; to subdue.

(v. t.) To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.

(v. i.) To bend; to curve.

(v. i.) To stop.

(v. i.) To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; -- often with down.

(v. i.) To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.

(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.

(v. t.) Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.

(v. t.) 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.

(v. t.) An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.

(v. t.) The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.

(v. t.) 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.

(v. t.) An arcograph.

(v. t.) 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.

(v. t.) A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.

(sing. or pl.) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.

(v. i.) To play (music) with a bow.

(v. i. ) To manage the bow.

(n.) The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.

(n.) One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.

Edited by Julia

Synonyms and Synonymous

v. a. [1]. Bend, inflect, crook, incurvate, curve, make crooked.[2]. Incline, turn downward.[3]. Depress, sink, cast down, bring down.

v. n. [1]. Bend, buckle, be inflected, be bent.[2]. Incline (in token of respect, reverence, or submission), make a bow.

n. (Naut.) Fore part (of a ship), prow, beak, stem.

Edited by Faye

Definition

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.

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.

Inputed by Frieda