bow
bow — verb
- bowpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bows3rd person singular
- bowing-ing form
- bowedpast simple
1. to lower your head or upper body as a polite sign of respect, greeting, apology,
to lower your head or upper body as a polite sign of respect, greeting, apology, or thanks.
Diya bowed to the old monk before entering the temple hall.
bow to + person as a sign of respect
After the final song, the band bowed together and left the stage.
performers bow to thank an audience
Caleb bowed his head when the names of the dead were read.
The children bowed politely to their hosts at the start of dinner.
- bow to the audience
- bow before the king
- bow your head
- bow deeply
Grammar Patterns
bow to + person
bow before + person
bow your head
Usage Note
Often followed by 'to' or 'before' when naming the person who receives the gesture. Performers also bow to an audience at the end of a show.
2. to stop resisting and accept another person's power, wishes, or pressure.
to stop resisting and accept another person's power, wishes, or pressure.
After weeks of protest, the mayor bowed to public pressure.
bow to + pressure/demands/authority
The small retailer would not bow to the chain's pricing demands.
Jin finally bowed to his parents' wishes and studied law.
The minister bowed to party leaders and changed the plan.
- bow to pressure
- bow to demands
- bow to authority
- resist
to keep opposing pressure or control
Grammar Patterns
bow to + pressure
bow to + demands
bow to + authority
Usage Note
This sense is usually followed by 'to' plus the force you accept, such as pressure, demands, public anger, or authority.
Common Mistakes
3. to bend into an arc, or to make something take on that curved shape.
to bend into an arc, or to make something take on that curved shape.
The wet branch bowed under the weight of fresh snow.
bow under the weight of + noun
Heat made the plastic lid bow at the middle.
Asher bowed the thin strip of wood into a smooth arc.
transitive: bow + object into a curve
Years of rain bowed the garden gate outward.
- bow under weight
- bow into an arc
- straighten
to become or make straight
Grammar Patterns
bow under + weight
bow + object into + shape
Usage Note
Often used of wood, metal, shelves, branches, or similar things changing shape under force, heat, or weight.
bow down to
phrasal verbto show very strong respect or worship by bending low before someone, or to obey them too readily.
The villagers bowed down to the stone figure during the festival.
Our team should not bow down to a bully in the office.
bow out
phrasal verbto leave a contest, plan, or public role before it ends, often politely or because continuing is not possible.
Gabriela bowed out of the race after hurting her ankle.
Two investors bowed out when the budget doubled in one month.
bow to
phrasal verbto accept the wishes or force of a stronger person, group, or situation.
The company bowed to online anger and changed the advertisement.
Hao would not bow to threats from the rival coach.
bow and scrape
idiomto behave in an overly respectful way toward someone important in order to please them.
Some managers expect staff to bow and scrape for every small favour.
Layla refused to bow and scrape just to keep the client happy.
bow — noun
- bowsingular
- bowsplural
1. an act of lowering the head or upper body to greet someone, show respect, or tha
an act of lowering the head or upper body to greet someone, show respect, or thank an audience.
The pianist returned for one last bow after the long applause.
take/give a bow after a performance
Ava greeted the judge with a short bow and sat down.
A deep bow from the guide ended the tea ceremony.
The actor's careful bow made the audience cheer again.
- take a bow
- give a bow
- deep bow
Grammar Patterns
give a bow
take a bow
Usage Note
Common both for formal greetings and for performers thanking an audience at the end of a show.
2. the end of a vessel that meets the water first as it moves ahead.
the end of a vessel that meets the water first as it moves ahead.
Foam broke over the bow as the ferry crossed the rough channel.
at/on the bow of a boat or ship
Christopher tied the spare rope near the bow before the storm.
A camera on the bow showed ice floating ahead.
The captain stood at the bow and searched for the harbour light.
- at the bow
- bow wave
- near the bow
- prow
often refers to the pointed front tip of a ship
- stern
the back end of a boat or ship
Grammar Patterns
at the bow
on the bow
Usage Note
Used for the forward end of a vessel. The opposite end is the stern.
Common Mistakes
3. in rowing, the seat at the very front of the shell.
in rowing, the seat at the very front of the shell.
Devika moved from stroke to bow for the final practice row.
row at bow = nearest the front
The coach put the lightest athlete at bow in the four.
By spring, our club had trained three beginners to row at bow.
The bow seat felt rougher once the wind rose across the lake.
- row at bow
- move to bow
Grammar Patterns
row at bow
Usage Note
This sense names the seat or position in the boat, not the person in it.
4. in rowing, the person who sits in that front seat.
in rowing, the person who sits in that front seat.
Baraka was bow for the school crew at the regional race.
bow = person in the front seat
The bow called the timing as the boat came off the start.
The coach chose Joon as bow because Joon reacts quickly.
In the final, our bow stayed steady through the crosswind.
- be bow for the crew
- choose someone as bow
Grammar Patterns
be bow for + crew
Usage Note
Unlike sense 3, this use refers to the rower rather than the seat itself.
a warning action or message meant to show that something stronger may follow.
The fine was a shot across the company's bows, not a full punishment.
Her warning email was a shot across his bows before the next mistake.
take a/your bow
idiomto come forward at the end of a performance and bow to the audience.
After the children finished the play, the teacher told them to take a bow.
The retiring chef took his bow and thanked the whole kitchen staff.
bow — noun
- bowsingular
- bowsplural
1. a looped knot with trailing ends, used to decorate things or keep laces and ribb
a looped knot with trailing ends, used to decorate things or keep laces and ribbons fastened.
Naoko tied the gift box with a red bow and silver string.
tie something with/in a bow
The nurse fixed a blue bow in the child's hair.
Jenna's shoelace bow came undone on the stairs.
A paper bow decorated the front of each wedding chair.
- hair bow
- shoelace bow
- tie a bow
- knot
more general and not necessarily looped or decorative
Grammar Patterns
tie something with a bow
tie something in a bow
Usage Note
Used both for practical knots, such as on shoes, and for decorative ribbon shapes.
2. a curved weapon with a stretched string, used for sending arrows through the air
a curved weapon with a stretched string, used for sending arrows through the air.
The ranger hung his bow above the cabin door after the hunt.
draw/use a bow for shooting arrows
Cyrus pulled the bow back slowly and aimed at the target.
The museum keeps a bamboo bow from the island in a glass case.
During practice, each student checked the bow string before shooting.
- bow and arrow
- draw a bow
- bow string
- longbow
a specific traditional type of bow
Grammar Patterns
draw a bow
shoot with a bow
Usage Note
This sense refers to the weapon itself, not to the strings-and-horsehair tool used with a violin or cello.
3. a narrow stick, usually carrying tight horsehair, that players draw across violi
a narrow stick, usually carrying tight horsehair, that players draw across violin-family strings to make them sound.
The violin bow slipped from Ari's hand during the fast ending.
violin/cello bow used for string instruments
Hoa tightened the bow before the orchestra began the concert.
Rosin on the bow helped the cello strings speak more clearly.
The repair shop replaced the worn hair on Mila's bow.
- violin bow
- cello bow
- rosin the bow
Grammar Patterns
violin bow
tighten a bow
Usage Note
Used with string instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
bow — verb
- bowpresent simple I / you / we / they
- bows3rd person singular
- bowing-ing form
- bowedpast simple
1. to make music on a string instrument by moving a bow across its strings.
to make music on a string instrument by moving a bow across its strings.
Constanza bowed the first note softly before the cello entered.
bow + note/phrase on a string instrument
In rehearsal, the violas bowed together in long, even strokes.
intransitive: players bow together
The teacher asked Paloma to bow closer to the bridge.
Andrei bowed the last phrase with a warm, slow stroke.
- bow the violin
- bow a note
- bow near the bridge
- play
much broader and not specific to using a bow
- pluck
to sound the strings with the fingers instead of a bow
Grammar Patterns
bow + instrument
bow + note/phrase
bow closer to the bridge
Usage Note
Common in music teaching and performance talk. It may describe either the player or the action applied to a note, phrase, or instrument.
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
When greeting or showing respect, 'bow' means lowering the upper body, not just moving the head. 'Nod' is smaller and more casual, so friends may nod to each other but they rarely bow. 'Curtsy' is the traditional movement of bending the knees, usually done by girls or women in formal settings. 'Kneel' is much stronger: it puts one or both knees on the ground and often suggests prayer, surrender, or deep honour. 'Bend' is the general physical action and does not by itself imply respect. A singer may bow after a concert, a child may nod to a neighbour, and a worshipper may kneel at an altar.
Etymology
The /baʊ/ verb and gesture noun come from an old Germanic verb meaning 'bend'. The /boʊ/ noun for a weapon or curved tool comes from another old word for something bent or arched. The ship sense developed separately through Dutch and Low German forms for the curved front or shoulder of a vessel, which is why modern English keeps several meanings and two common pronunciations under the same spelling.
First known use
12th century
12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1 Noun (1)