bow
bow Lexical Profile
bow Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A weapon or piece of sporting equipment for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of material joined at both ends by a taut string.
"The athlete carefully drew back her bow during the Olympic archery competition."
A gesture of bending the head or upper body forward, typically as a sign of respect, greeting, or acknowledgment.
"The orchestra conductor turned to the audience and took a deep bow after the final symphony."
A decorative knot tied with two loops and two loose ends, used especially for tying shoelaces or adorning packages.
"She carefully tied a beautiful velvet bow around the birthday present before handing it to her friend."
• verb
To bend the head or upper part of the body forward as a sign of respect, greeting, or deference.
"The visiting diplomats were instructed to bow when introduced to the monarch."
To submit or yield to a pressure, demand, or superior force.
"The corporation eventually had to bow to public pressure and recall the defective product."
To bend or curve downwards or outwards under heavy weight or pressure.
"The old wooden shelves began to bow under the immense weight of the academic encyclopedias."
Word Nuance & Usage
This word is a classic heteronym: it is pronounced /boʊ/ (rhyming with 'no') when referring to sporting equipment or a knot, and /baʊ/ (rhyming with 'how') when referring to a respectful gesture, submitting, or the front of a ship.
• Rhymes for bow
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'būgan' (to bend or bow down) and the related 'boga' (an arch or a bending weapon). The distinct pronunciations evolved from these slightly different phonetic roots.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.