bow

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To bend the head or upper body forward as a sign of respect or greeting.

   The actors bowed as the audience applauded.

2. 2
   verb

   To give in to someone else's wishes or pressure.

   The government finally bowed to public pressure and changed the law.

3. 3
   noun

   A weapon made of curved wood and a string, used to shoot arrows.

   The archer pulled back the bow and aimed at the target.

4. 4
   noun

   The front part of a ship or boat.

   Waves crashed against the bow as the ship sailed on.

Common collocations

• bow your head Verb + noun

PIE word *bʰeh₂ǵʰús From Middle English bowe, bowgh, a borrowing from Middle Low German bôch and/or Middle Dutch boech, from Proto-Germanic *bōguz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰus (“arm”). Doublet of bough. Cognates Cognate with Dutch boeg (“bow”), German Bug (“bow, prow (of a ship); shoulder joint (of an animal)”), Luxembourgish Buch, Bou (“shoulder joint (of an animal)”), Danish bov (“bow”), Icelandic bógur (“bow”), Norwegian Bokmål baug (“bow”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish bog (“bow; shoulder (of an animal)”).

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