bow

/boʊ/
verb
  1. To bend the head or upper body forward as a greeting, sign of respect, or acknowledgment.
    • The actor bowed to the audience after the play ended.
    • He bowed his head in thanks for the award.
    • In Japan, people often bow when they meet someone.
  2. To bend or curve something, or to become bent or curved.
    • The old shelf began to bow under the weight of the books.
    • She bowed the wire into a circle for her art project.
    • The strong wind bowed the trees in the park.
  3. To yield or give in to pressure, authority, or a stronger force.
    • She bowed to the judge's decision and accepted the outcome.
    • The company finally bowed to public demand and changed its policy.
    • He refused to bow to threats from his rivals.
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noun
  1. A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other material, with a string stretched between its ends, used for shooting arrows.
    • In archery, you need a strong bow to shoot arrows far.
    • He pulled back the string of his bow and aimed at the target.
    • The hunter carried a bow and a quiver of arrows into the forest.
  2. A knot with two loops and two loose ends, used for tying shoelaces, ribbons, or wrapping gifts.
    • His shoelaces came undone, so he stopped to make a bow.
    • The dancer wore a big red bow in her hair.
    • She tied a neat bow on the birthday present.
  3. A long, thin stick with horsehair stretched from end to end, used to play string instruments like the violin or cello.
    • He rosined his bow before the concert began.
    • A cello bow is shorter and thicker than a violin bow.
    • The violinist moved the bow across the strings smoothly.
  4. The front part of a ship or boat.
    • She stood at the bow, looking out at the open sea.
    • The captain steered the bow toward the harbor.
    • The waves crashed against the bow of the ship.
  5. A curved, rainbow-like shape or object.
    • A beautiful bow of colors appeared in the sky after the rain.
    • She drew a bow shape on the paper with a pencil.
    • The bridge formed a graceful bow over the river.
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