bow
11 ENTRIES FOUND:
bows;
bowed;
bowing
bows;
bowed;
bowing
Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW
1
[no object]
:
to bend forward at the neck or waist as a formal way of greeting someone or showing respect
— often + to
-
He bowed politely and introduced himself to us.
-
You must bow (down) before the king.
-
a man bowing to kiss the hand of a woman
-
The men bowed and the women curtsied as the royal couple walked past.
-
She bowed down in front of the altar.
-
They bowed to each other and began talking.
-
She bowed to the audience and walked off stage.
2
[+ object]
:
to turn (your head) down so that you are looking toward the ground
-
people bowing their heads in prayer
-
His head was bowed [=lowered] in shame.
-
We listened with bowed heads.
3
[no object]
:
to stop trying to fight or resist something
:
to agree to do or accept something that you have been resisting or opposing
— usually + to
-
The President bowed [=gave in, yielded] to political pressure.
-
They usually bow to his wishes. [=they usually do what he wants]
-
She finally bowed to the inevitable and accepted their decision.
bow and scrape
:
to treat someone who is powerful or wealthy in an extremely respectful way especially in order to get approval, friendship, etc.
-
She's disgusted by politicians who bow and scrape before wealthy contributors.
bow down to
[phrasal verb]
bow down to (someone or something)
:
to show weakness by agreeing to the demands or following the orders of (someone or something)
-
I will bow down to no one. [=I will take orders from no one; I will submit to no one]
-
The government is refusing to bow down to [=give in to] pressure to lift the sanctions.
bow out
[phrasal verb]
:
to stop doing something
:
to stop being involved in a contest, an activity, etc.
-
He knew he would not win the election, so he decided to bow out of the presidential race.
-
He bowed out [=left, withdrew] gracefully.
-
She has bowed out of the restaurant business entirely.
—
compare 5bow
2
bow
/ˈbaʊ/
noun
plural
bows
2
bow
/ˈbaʊ/
noun
plural
bows
Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW
[count]
:
the act of bending forward at the neck or waist in order to greet someone or show respect
:
the act of bowing
-
In some cultures it is polite to greet people with a bow, while in others a handshake is preferred.
-
He smiled and made/gave a bow.
take a bow
:
to bow towards an audience that is applauding for you
— often used figuratively to say that someone deserves to be praised
-
When the play has finished, the actors will line up to take a bow.
-
The people who organized the festival should take a bow for its remarkable success.
3
bow
/ˈbaʊ/
noun
plural
bows
3
bow
/ˈbaʊ/
noun
plural
bows
Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW
[count]
plural
bows
plural
bows
Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW
[count]
1
:
a knot that is made by tying a ribbon or string into two or more loops and that is used for tying shoelaces or for decoration
—
see also bow tie
-
She tied/wore a bow in her hair.
2
:
a weapon used for shooting arrows that is made of a long, thin piece of wood which is bent with its ends connected by a tight, strong string
-
They hunted with bows and arrows.
3
:
a tool that is used for playing a violin or similar musical instrument and that is made of a thin stick of wood with its ends connected by stretched pieces of hair or fiber
—
see picture at stringed instrument
5
bow
/ˈboʊ/
verb
bows;
bowed;
bowing
5
bow
/ˈboʊ/
verb
bows;
bowed;
bowing
Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW
1
[+ object]
:
to use a bow to play (a violin or similar musical instrument)
—
see also bowing
-
bowing or plucking the violin strings
2
:
to bend or curve
—
see also bowlegged
[no object]
-
The wall bows out at the bottom.
[+ object]
-
Years of riding horses has bowed his legs.
-
People with this disorder often have bowed legs.
—
compare 1bow
