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bow
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
bow
I.verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
bow legs
bow tie
bow to pressure (also give in to pressure) (= do what people want you to do)
▪ He eventually gave in to pressure and resigned.
bow window
bow/bend/lower your head (=look down)
▪ He bowed his head and tried not not to look at her.
hang/bow your head in shame (=look down, or feel like you should look down, because you feel so ashamed)
▪ I bow my head in shame when I think of how I treated her.
tie a knot/bow
▪ She pulled the ribbon tightly and tied a bow.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
deeply
▪ Tara, clad in a tight yellow leotard and matching ruffled skirt, bowed deeply amidst the applause.
▪ I turn back to my class, bowing deeply.
▪ With that the beggar bowed deeply to the handsome couple and laughed until he was rocking back and forth.
▪ I bow deeply, then move my hands in the motion I learned last night at the Kudakajima circle dance.
down
▪ This is where all the stars bow down.
▪ Some one in Manhattan they would bow down and adore.
▪ The women and children now catch up their master, and each group in turn bows down before Esau.
▪ When the sun sets, its inhabitants bow down in unison amid their baobab and thorn trees toward Mecca to pray.
▪ The gurgling male, alternately bowing down and rearing up, chased the female from one row of tiles to the next.
▪ They were literally bowed down with grief....
▪ But still, because he does not bow down before his own popularity, he retains a certain distance.
▪ And bowed down to resume his strange rump-in-the-air and face-in-the-sea posture.
out
▪ Loosen tie &038; undo top button of shirt so that shirt collar bows out and tie arches forward like a cup handle.
▪ The Big Ten laid a Big Egg, with all five of its teams bowing out.
▪ They began their Springbok lives together but both reject suggestions that they plan to bow out at Twickenham.
▪ But another clone wannabe bowed out of the game Tuesday.
▪ This year Rudolph Giuliani, the city's crime-busting mayor, bows out.
▪ But Woods said he bowed out this week after discussing the issue with Dole.
▪ After a lucky thirteen episodes, Crawford decided that Frank Spencer should bow out.
▪ When Steve Winwood bowed out because of illness, a call was made for a replacement.
over
▪ Willie turned to face the fire, his head bowed over the range.
▪ I bow over the toilet to retch but reverse away fast as last night's urine smells like cat shit this morning.
▪ The Nativity, with Mary and Joseph bowing over a sleeping child.
▪ Albert bowed over the girl's hand - Caro would bet it wasn't his wife.
slightly
▪ The porter bowed slightly, but said nothing.
▪ He bowed slightly at the waist.
▪ He took his had off and bowed slightly.
■ NOUN
government
▪ Environmental groups also criticized the agreement, claiming that governments had bowed to the demands of chemical companies.
▪ The Government bowed to the inevitable after other countries threatened to outvote it.
head
▪ An armed guard stood there in the doorway, head bowed, a clean silk pau folded over one arm.
▪ She lifted her head, then bowed it again, avoiding my eyes.
▪ In the centre, Ghost of the Tree stood alone, his arms around his skull-staff, his head bowed.
▪ He sat on a stool with his head bowed, his feet frozen.
▪ She poured the wine then backed away, her head bowed, her throat suddenly dry, her heart pounding.
▪ It is merely the sight of a small head bowed over the pages that gives me indescribable joy.
▪ On his left head bowed, eyes hidden by her fringe, sits Ma.
▪ Lots of guys are starting to walk around with their heads raised instead of bowing to Tiger.
pressure
▪ That same month, bowing to pressure, he agreed to appoint a Minister for the Coordination of Defence.
▪ In August he bowed to the pressure, put Elias Snider in charge, and made Beck one of the commissioners.
▪ However, the bill was revised in parliament by Solidarity politicians bowing to populist pressures.
▪ The governors, nevertheless, bowed to pressure from Republican congressional leaders not to call for reopening welfare legislation for major changes.
▪ Meanwhile Mr Redwood's successor has bowed to pressure to sever his business links with Asda.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a shot across the bows/a warning shot (across the bows)
have more than one string to your bow
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ All the men turned and bowed as the Emperor passed.
▪ Archer bowed and left the stage.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ But another clone wannabe bowed out of the game Tuesday.
▪ I sighed and bowed to the inevitable.
▪ The Prime Minister, however, was simply bowing to the inevitable.
▪ The women and children now catch up their master, and each group in turn bows down before Esau.
▪ They bowed and waited for the mayor to speak first.
▪ When he made his rounds on a light-gray donkey, people bowed their heads and dared not look at his face.
▪ Willie turned to face the fire, his head bowed over the range.
II.noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
deep
▪ The young woman stands after she says this and makes a deep bow.
▪ I make a deep bow and thank Mrs Nishimae.
formal
▪ The students then stoop to sit on their heels and issue another formal bow before standing and beginning the lesson.
▪ Before entering it, a student must make a formal bow at the doorway as a mark of respect.
▪ This is done with a formal bow.
▪ At my doorway, Jules said goodnight with a formal little bow.
slight
▪ He came to his front door to say goodbye, which he did with a handshake and a slight bow.
▪ She made a slight bow and wheeled to the next desk.
▪ The waiter gave the slightest of bows, turned and set off back to the café.
▪ They were just three wires joined at the ends, with only the slightest bow to them.
■ NOUN
wave
▪ Conversation was limited by the roar of the engine and the thrash of the bow waves.
▪ The branch shattered in half, and the gulls crouched to leap, only to be sucked under the bow waves.
▪ She reached the coast road and a fire engine charged into view, spreading a bow wave.
▪ I have never seen bow waves like these.
▪ The yacht pitched forward as they slid down the bow wave.
▪ The porpoises delight in riding on the bow waves of motor boats, which has frequently proved to be a fatal mistake.
window
▪ Mrs Healy saw him running as she looked from her bow window and knew that something must be amiss.
■ VERB
give
▪ Marsden held out his hand and took hers in a strong grip, at the same time giving the faintest possible bow.
▪ The waiter gave the slightest of bows, turned and set off back to the café.
▪ Any chariot crew may be given short bows at an additional cost of +1 point per crewman.
▪ Only then did she give a little bow and, pouring herself some wine, settled, kneeling at her husband's side.
▪ They gave her stiff little bows, what she would have expected.
make
▪ Then, turning back, he made a final bow to the row of tiny images.
▪ The young woman stands after she says this and makes a deep bow.
▪ Before entering it, a student must make a formal bow at the doorway as a mark of respect.
▪ She made a slight bow and wheeled to the next desk.
▪ To make the bow Tie a knot centrally in strip.
▪ I make a deep bow and thank Mrs Nishimae.
▪ It may well have been used to make bows for local archers who went off to fight in the battle of Agincourt.
▪ Lupe took the ribbon out of her hair and made a bow and glued it on to her cover.
take
▪ I wondered if it might take a bow, but it didn't.
▪ And take the bow inside for it.
▪ Lord Reith in his dinner suit, Lady Barnett take a bow.
▪ Then Herb, Junior, had taken his bow and arrow and wounded one of the beasts in the hindquarters.
▪ The song ended and Albert took a bow.
▪ They all deserved to take a bow.
▪ The cellist took up his bow, and drew across his instrument a few subdued notes of Bach.
▪ Then he took the bow and did his utmost to string it.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a shot across the bows/a warning shot (across the bows)
draw a bow
▪ Kids always get to shoot air guns, draw bows and fire arrows, and catch fish for free.
have more than one string to your bow
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ She had a red bow in her hair.
III.noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
big
▪ Love does not involve giving fancy parcels tied up with big red bows.
▪ Mulcahey slipped the red ribbon around the collar and tied a big bow.
▪ Her shiny, dark hair was done up in a pony tail with a big red bow.
▪ I hated her because she wore long red banana curls and a big bow in her hair.
▪ There was a ribbon in her hair and a big bow tied on the side of her head.
black
▪ The referee patrols the bandaged ropes, dapper in his black bow tie.
▪ They are wearing their school uniforms, black jumpers with white blouses and neat black bows at the neck.
▪ His hair was white and powdered and long enough to be tied in a small black silk bow.
▪ By one armpit was a floppy black bow.
▪ Her hair was in a single pigtail tied with black bow, like one of Nelson's sailors.
red
▪ She wears a gigantic wig decorated with feathers and red bows, the shape of which echoes that of the wide skirt.
▪ Miss Sadie had given him a very large package tied with a red bow.
▪ Love does not involve giving fancy parcels tied up with big red bows.
▪ Her shiny, dark hair was done up in a pony tail with a big red bow.
small
▪ Make a small bow for the green cake as before and leave to dry.
▪ The key has two protruding teeth and the shank is of rectangular section, thickening towards the small circular bow.
▪ His hair was white and powdered and long enough to be tied in a small black silk bow.
▪ He stood in the ballroom entrance and acknowledged the applause with a small bow.
■ NOUN
leg
▪ It is in walnut polished wood, bow fronted with bow legs.
▪ A man or woman with bow legs is looked upon as an ugly person.
▪ Nigel of the clammy hands and Peter of the bow legs and disappearing chin?
tie
▪ I t was a collar and bow tie and the front of a shirt.
▪ She sat silently in her blue suit and little bow tie.
▪ The referee patrols the bandaged ropes, dapper in his black bow tie.
▪ The players wore short-sleeve white shirts, long white pants and dark bow ties, with baseball caps and white sneakers.
▪ Beer is dispensed by a man with a bow tie.
▪ It was the bow ties that made Raymo happy.
▪ He was painted by Modigliani and Picarbia in a white shirt and tiny bow tie.
▪ That night, another of my presents was a bow tie.
window
▪ Mrs Healy saw him running as she looked from her bow window and knew that something must be amiss.
■ VERB
arm
▪ They are armed with bows and hand weapons.
▪ On the third morning, the White House People returned again, armed with bows and arrows.
▪ Any Mobs of wolf riders may be armed with short bows at an additional cost of +1 points per model.
▪ They were armed with bows and arrows, were all male and had shaved heads.
▪ The soldiers were armed with bows, swords, armour and long spears.
▪ Moorish infantry and cavalry, armed with bows, swords and spears, and carrying small round shields.
carry
▪ For self-defence therefore the sworn foresters were allowed to carry bows and arrows in the forest.
▪ Most of them were carrying bows, but even those who had arrows nocked were not aiming at anything in particular.
▪ He also carries a magic bow, as described below.
▪ In addition, Nicholas carried a short bow at his shoulder, with a quiver.
draw
▪ She felt he was drawing his bow across her heartstrings.
▪ In another version she draws her silver bow and shoots him through the head as he swims towards her.
▪ It reminded him of that moment years before when she had drawn and aimed the bow.
shoot
▪ She shoots well with the bow.
▪ A cannon shot across the bow.
use
▪ They haven't used their bows or their guns for four days.
▪ He never used much of the bow.
▪ Can you fight with a sword, or use a bow?
▪ Finally the research vessel began to sidle sideways towards us, using its bow thrusters to close the gap with Hsu Fu.
▪ Brown Men only eat nuts, berries and apples, and use their bows and arrows to chase hunters away from innocent game.
▪ Pau brasil, the tree the country was named after, is used for violin bows.
▪ It may well have been used to make bows for local archers who went off to fight in the battle of Agincourt.
wear
▪ In correct rural circles, having your lawn turfed is regarded in the same light as wearing made-up bow ties.
▪ I was still wearing the bow tie Jasper had tied.
▪ Heroes, by contrast, may not wear bow ties or neckties, both of which are symbols of the decadent West.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ An ivory quiver hung upon her left shoulder and in her hand was a bow.
▪ He tucked his letter inside the pink bow.
▪ Her blonde hair was pulled back into a smooth chignon and tied with a yellow silk bow.
▪ Moorish infantry and cavalry, armed with bows, swords and spears, and carrying small round shields.
▪ That night, another of my presents was a bow tie.
▪ We learn bow to learn, how to find out, what the general concepts are.
IV.verb
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ He took his had off and bowed slightly.
▪ When he made his rounds on a light-gray donkey, people bowed their heads and dared not look at his face.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bow

Bow \Bow\ (bou), v. i.

  1. To bend; to curve. [Obs.]

  2. To stop. [Archaic]

    They stoop, they bow down together.
    --Is. xlvi. 2?

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

    O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
    --Ps. xcv. 6.

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

    Admired, adored by all circling crowd, For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed.
    --Dryden.

Bow

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.]

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

    We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
    --Milton.

    The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
    --Prescott.

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

    Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
    --Bacon.

    Not to bow and bias their opinions.
    --Fuller.

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

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

  4. To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;? to crush; to subdue.

    Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
    --Shak.

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

Bow

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.

Bow

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.]

  1. Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.

    I do set my bow in the cloud.
    --Gen. ix. 13.

  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.

  3. An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.

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

  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.

  6. An arcograph.

  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.

  8. (Naut.) A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.

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

    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.]

Bow

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.

Bow

Bow \Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [Icel. b[=o]gr shoulder, bow of a ship. See Bough.]

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

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

    Bow chaser (Naut.), a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel.
    --Totten.

    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.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
bow

Old English bugan "to bend, to bow down, to bend the body in condescension," also "to turn back" (class II strong verb; past tense beag, past participle bogen), from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cognates: Dutch buigen, Middle Low German bugen, Old High German biogan, German biegen, Gothic biugan "to bend," Old Norse boginn "bent"), from *beugen, from PIE root *bheug- (3) "to bend," with derivatives referring to bent, pliable, or curved objects (cognates: Sanskrit bhujati "bends, thrusts aside;" Old High German boug, Old English beag "a ring"). The noun in this sense is first recorded 1650s. Related: Bowed; bowing. Bow out "withdraw" is from 1942.\n\n\n

bow

weapon for shooting arrows, Old English boga "archery bow, arch, rainbow," from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cognates: Old Norse bogi, Old Frisian boga, Dutch boog, German Bogen "bow;" see bow (v.)). The sense of "a looped knot" is from 1540s. The musician's bow (1570s) formerly was curved like the archer's. Bowlegged is attested from 1550s.

bow

"front of a ship," mid-14c., from Old Norse bogr or Middle Dutch boech "bow of a ship," literally "shoulder (of an animal)," the connecting notion being "the shoulders of the ship." See bough.

Wiktionary
bow

Etymology 1 n. 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, similar to the item described above. 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. 7 The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke. 8 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. 9 (context nautical English) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at se

  1. 10 (context saddlery English) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree. v

  2. 1 To play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow. 2 (context intransitive English) To become bent or curved. 3 (context transitive English) To make something bend or curve. 4 (context transitive figurative English) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline. 5 (context intransitive English) To premiere. Etymology 2

    n. 1 A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence 2 A debut vb. (context intransitive English) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference. Etymology 3

    n. (context nautical English) The front of a boat or ship.

WordNet
bow
  1. v. bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head; "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame" [syn: bow down]

  2. submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; "The government bowed to the military pressure" [syn: submit, defer, accede, give in]

  3. bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting; "He bowed before the King"

  4. 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]

  5. play on a string instrument

bow
  1. n. a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces [syn: bowknot]

  2. a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument

  3. front part of a vessel or aircraft; "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line" [syn: fore, prow, stem]

  4. curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows

  5. something curved in shape [syn: arc]

  6. bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame [syn: bowing, obeisance]

  7. an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience [syn: curtain call]

  8. a decorative interlacing of ribbons

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

Gazetteer
Wikipedia
BOW

BOW as an acronym may refer to:

  • BOW - Bride Of The World - an International Beauty Pageant.
  • Bag of Waters - Amniotic sac
  • Bartow Municipal Airport - a public use airport located four miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district of Bartow, a city in Polk County, Florida, United States.
Bow (music)

In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones.

Bow (ship)

The bow is the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is usually most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow. The other end of the boat is the stern.

Bow (rowing)

In rowing, the " bow" or sometimes "bows" of a boat is the forward part of the hull, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. The other end of the boat is called the stern. The rower closest to the bow of the boat is also known as "bow".

Bow (Masters of the Universe)

Bow is a fictional character in the Filmation animated series She-Ra: Princess of Power. Together with his steed, Arrow, he is one of the members of the Great Rebellion against the Evil Horde. He was one of the characters that is most frequently seen in the series. He was first seen in Episode 1, disguised in a bar where he met Prince Adam, who was then sent to a mission to find the owner of the Sword of Protection.

Usage examples of "bow".

The academician lowered himself to the ground and sat, disconsolate, his head bowed.

I know also that there is a power before which even academicism must bow, and to this power I look not unhopefully for support.

When Pahni and Bhapa bowed in acquiescence, he smiled crookedly and did the same.

The gypsy stopped abruptly, and turned an eye, in which menace vainly struggled with good-humour, upon each of his brethren, as they submissively bowed to him and his protege, and poured forth a profusion of promises, to which their admonitor did not even condescend to listen.

The gallant officers, now realizing for the first time that a girl--and a pretty one--was one of the passengers of the big aeroplane, waved their hats and bowed profoundly.

He bowed politely to the baroness, familiarly to Danglars, and affectionately to Monte Cristo.

The last blast caused a jam rise on the bow planes maybe blew some gases into the aft ballast tanks.

After a few moments the seeker saw the shape forming up ahead, the boxy bridge, the pointed bow, the tall central mast and the funnel aft, with the box of the hangar for the Dauphin helicopter and the flat helo-deck aft.

The dancers in the afterglow do not break rhythm, but do introduce a kind of bow into their prancing.

Frenchman, making one of his best bows, and playing gracefully with the aiguillettes that danced upon his breast, proceeded in courteous accents to deliver his mission.

We had turned northward in the night, rounding the lower tip of Alba, and I could see her green coastline lying off our starboard bow, hazy in the distance.

Seregil asked in a haughty, slightly nasal voice, giving Alec an elaborate bow.

Pausing to tune the harp, he snapped the string and, after a tense, whispered exchange with Alec, rose and bowed to the mayor.

Master Radly had included an oilskin bow case and a covered quiver in the price of the bow, to which Alec had added a score of arrows, linen twine and wax for bowstrings, and packets of red and white fletching.

Clutching his bow and quiver, Alec dropped and scrambled on his belly to the nearest trees.