Bow Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (2025)

1 bow

/ˈbaʊ/

verb

bows;

bowed;

bowing

1 bow

/ˈbaʊ/

verb

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

  • 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.

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often + to

  • They bowed to each other and began talking.

  • She bowed to the audience and walked off stage.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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take a bow

:

to bow towards an audience that is applauding for you

  • When the play has finished, the actors will line up to take a bow.

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often used figuratively to say that someone deserves to be praised

  • The people who organized the festival should take a bow for its remarkable success.

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compare 3bow, 4bow

3 bow

/ˈbaʊ/

noun

plural

bows

3 bow

/ˈbaʊ/

noun

plural

bows

Britannica Dictionary definition of BOW

[count]

:

the front part of a boat or ship

  • The deck was cleaned from bow to stern. [=from the front end to the back end]

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see picture at boat; opposite 2stern

compare 2bow, 4bow

4 bow

/ˈboʊ/

noun

plural

bows

4 bow

/ˈboʊ/

noun

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

  • She tied/wore a bow in her hair.

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see also bow tie

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.

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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

compare 2bow, 3bow

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)

  • bowing or plucking the violin strings

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see also bowing

2

:

to bend or curve

[no object]

  • The wall bows out at the bottom.

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[+ object]

  • Years of riding horses has bowed his legs.

  • People with this disorder often have bowed legs.

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see also bowlegged

compare 1bow

Bow Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary (2025)
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