bow1

[bou] /baʊ/
verb (used without object)
1.
to bend the knee or body or incline the head, as in reverence, submission, salutation, recognition, or acknowledgment.
2.
to yield; submit:
to bow to the inevitable.
3.
to bend or curve downward; stoop:
the pines bowed low.
verb (used with object)
4.
to bend or incline (the knee, body, or head) in worship, submission, respect, civility, agreement, etc.:
He bowed his head to the crowd.
5.
to cause to submit; subdue; crush.
6.
to cause to stoop or incline:
Age had bowed his head.
7.
to express by a bow:
to bow one's thanks.
8.
to usher (someone) with a bow (usually followed by in, out, etc.):
They were bowed in by the footman.
9.
to cause to bend; make curved or crooked.
noun
10.
an inclination of the head or body in salutation, assent, thanks, reverence, respect, submission, etc.
Verb phrases
11.
bow out, to resign a position or withdraw from a job, competition, obligation, etc.:
He bowed out after two terms as governor.
Idioms
12.
bow and scrape, to be excessively polite or deferential.
13.
make one's bow, to appear publicly for the first time, as a performer, politician, etc.:
The young pianist made her bow last night to an appreciative audience.
14.
take a bow, to step forward or stand up in order to receive recognition, applause, etc.:
The conductor had the soloists take a bow.
Origin
before 900; Middle English bowen (v.), Old English būgan; cognate with Dutch buigen; akin to German biegen, Gothic biugan, Old Norse buga, etc.
Related forms
bowedness, noun
bowingly, adverb
Can be confused
bode, bowed.
Synonyms
1. See bend1 . 2. surrender, accede, defer, acquiesce, comply, capitulate.
British Dictionary definitions for bow out

bow out

/baʊ/
verb
1.
(adverb; usually transitive) often foll by of. to retire or withdraw gracefully

bow1

/baʊ/
verb
1.
to lower (one's head) or bend (one's knee or body) as a sign of respect, greeting, assent, or shame
2.
to bend or cause to bend; incline downwards
3.
(intransitive; usually foll by to or before) to comply or accept: bow to the inevitable
4.
(transitive; foll by in, out, to etc) to usher (someone) into or out of a place with bows and deference: the manager bowed us to our car
5.
(transitive; usually foll by down) to bring (a person, nation, etc) to a state of submission
6.
bow and scrape, to behave in an excessively deferential or obsequious way
noun
7.
a lowering or inclination of the head or body as a mark of respect, greeting, or assent
8.
take a bow, to acknowledge or receive applause or praise
See also bow out
Word Origin
Old English būgan, related to Old Norse bjūgr bent, Old High German biogan to bend, Dutch buigen

bow2

/bəʊ/
noun
1.
a weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of an arch of flexible wood, plastic, metal, etc bent by a string (bowstring) fastened at each end See also crossbow
2.
  1. a long slightly curved stick across which are stretched strands of horsehair, used for playing the strings of a violin, viola, cello, or related instrument
  2. a stroke with such a stick
3.
  1. a decorative interlacing of ribbon or other fabrics, usually having two loops and two loose ends
  2. the knot forming such an interlacing; bowknot
4.
  1. something that is curved, bent, or arched
  2. (in combination): rainbow, oxbow, saddlebow
5.
a person who uses a bow and arrow; archer
6.
(US)
  1. a frame of a pair of spectacles
  2. a sidepiece of the frame of a pair of spectacles that curls round behind the ear
7.
a metal ring forming the handle of a pair of scissors or of a large old-fashioned key
8.
(architect) part of a building curved in the form of a bow See also bow window
verb
9.
to form or cause to form a curve or curves
10.
to make strokes of a bow across (violin strings)
Word Origin
Old English boga arch, bow; related to Old Norse bogi a bow, Old High German bogo, Old Irish bocc, and bow1

bow3

/baʊ/
noun
1.
(mainly nautical)
  1. (often pl) the forward end or part of a vessel
  2. (as modifier): the bow mooring line
2.
(rowing) short for bowman2
3.
(nautical) on the port bow, within 45 degrees to the port of straight ahead
4.
(nautical) on the starboard bow, within 45 degrees to the starboard of straight ahead
5.
(informal) a shot across someone's bows, a warning
Word Origin
C15: probably from Low German boog; related to Dutch boeg, Danish bov ship's bow, shoulder; see bough

Bow

/bəʊ/
noun
1.
Clara, known as the It Girl. 1905–65, US film actress, noted for her vivacity and sex appeal
Word Origin and History for bow out

bow

v.

Old English bugan "to bend, to bow down, to bend the body in condescension," also "to turn back" (class II strong verb; past tense beag, past participle bogen), from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cf. Dutch buigen, Middle Low German bugen, Old High German biogan, German biegen, Gothic biugan "to bend," Old Norse boginn "bent"), from *beugen, from PIE root *bheug- (3) "to bend," with derivatives referring to bent, pliable, or curved objects (cf. Sanskrit bhujati "bends, thrusts aside;" Old High German boug, Old English beag "a ring"). The noun in this sense is first recorded 1650s. Related: Bowed; bowing. Bow out "withdraw" is from 1942.

n.

weapon for shooting arrows, Old English boga "archery bow, arch, rainbow," from Proto-Germanic *bugon (cf. Old Norse bogi, Old Frisian boga, Dutch boog, German Bogen "bow;" see bow (v.)). The sense of "a looped knot" is from 1540s. The musician's bow (1570s) formerly was curved like the archer's. Bowlegged is attested from 1550s.

"front of a ship," mid-14c., from Old Norse bogr or Middle Dutch boech "bow of a ship," literally "shoulder (of an animal)," the connecting notion being "the shoulders of the ship." See bough.

Slang definitions & phrases for bow out

bow out

verb phrase

To depart, voluntarily and oftengracefully: We wanted her to take the role, but she bowed out (1940s+)


bow out

verb phrase

To depart, voluntarily and often gracefully: We wanted her to take the role, but she bowed out (1940s+)


Related Abbreviations for bow out

BOW

bag of waters (the amniotic sac in pregnancy)
bow out in the Bible

The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase (Gen. 21:20; 27:3; 48:22). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow (1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2; 2 Chr. 14:8; 17:17); so also were the Elamites (Isa. 22:6) and the Lydians (Jer. 46:9). The Hebrew word commonly used for bow means properly to tread (1 Chr. 5:18; 8:40), and hence it is concluded that the foot was employed in bending the bow. Bows of steel (correctly "copper") are mentioned (2 Sam. 22:35; Ps. 18:34). The arrows were carried in a quiver (Gen. 27:3; Isa. 22:6; 49:2; Ps. 127:5). They were apparently sometimes shot with some burning material attached to them (Ps. 120:4). The bow is a symbol of victory (Ps. 7:12). It denotes also falsehood, deceit (Ps. 64:3, 4; Hos. 7:16; Jer. 9:3). "The use of the bow" in 2 Sam. 1:18 (A.V.) ought to be "the song of the bow," as in the Revised Version.

Idioms and Phrases with bow out

bow out

Depart, withdraw, resign, as in After five years as chairman, I felt it was time I bowed out, or We'll have to beat them; they'll never bow out. [ First half of 1900s ]

bow

also see: