Meaning and Origin
What does the name Bow mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
Origin and Meaning of Bow
User Submitted Origins
English
27%
Thai
27%
Norwegian
27%
American
18%
International Interest
Also see international interest
Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
verb Bow
Senses
- 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.]
- 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.]
- 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.]
- To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;� to crush; to subdue."Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave." [Shak.]
- To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
Etymology: OE. bowen bogen bugen, AS. būgangenerally v. i.); akin to D. buigen, OHG. biogan, G. biegen beugen, Icel. boginn bent, beygja to bend, Sw. böja, Dan. böie bugne, Coth. biugan; also to L. fugere to flee, Gr. �, and Skr. bhuj to bend. √88. Cf. Fugitive
verb Bow
Senses
- To bend; to curve.(Obs)
- To stop.(Archaic)"They stoop, they bow down together." [Is. xlvi. 2�]
- 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.]
- 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.]
noun Bow
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.
noun Bow
Senses
- Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow."I do set my bow in the cloud." [Gen. ix. 13.]
- 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.
- An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
- The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
- [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.
- An arcograph.
- [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.
- [Naut] A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
- [Saddlery] (sing. or pl.)Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Etymology: OE. bowe boge, AS. boga, fr. AS. būgan to bend; akin to D. boog, G. bogen, Icel. bogi. See Bow (v. t.)
verb Bow
To play (music) with a bow.
noun Bow
Senses
- [Naut] The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
- [Naut] One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
Etymology: Icel. bōgr shoulder, bow of a ship. See Bough
Other Dictionary Sources
- A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
- A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands; used in playing certain stringed instruments
- A weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow
- Front part of a vessel or aircraft ("he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line")
- A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
- A decorative interlacing of ribbons
- An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
- Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
- Something curved in shape
- Yield to another's wish or opinion ("The government bowed to the military pressure")
- Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head ("He bowed before the King" and "She bowed her head in shame")
- Play on a stringed instrument with a bow
- Bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting ("He bowed before the King")
- Bend one's back forward from the waist on down ("She bowed before the Queen")
Wiktionary
From Middle English bowe, boȝe, from Old English boga, from Proto-Germanic *bugô. Cognate with West Frisian boge, Dutch boog, German Bogen, Danish bue, Norwegian boge, bue, Swedish båge.
- A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
- A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
- A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
- A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
- 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.
- Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
- The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
- Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
- 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.
- (nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
- (saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
- The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
From Middle English bowen, buwen, buȝen, from Old English būgan, from Proto-Germanic *beuganą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰūgʰ- (“to bend”). Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen, Danish bue.
- A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence
- He made a polite as he entered the room.
From Middle Dutch boech or Old Norse bógr, both from Proto-Germanic *bōguz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰus (“arm”). Doublet of bough.
- (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
- (rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
bow was also found in the following language(s): Vilamovian