Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Bow
Bow
(bou)
, Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bowed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Bowing
.] [OE.
bowen
, bogen
, bugen
, AS. būgan
(generally v. i.); akin to D. buigen
, OHG. biogan
, G. biegen
, beugen
, Icel. boginn
bent, beygja
to bend, Sw. böja
, Dan. böie
, bugne
, Coth. biugan
; also to L. fugere
to flee, Gr. [GREEK], and Skr. bhuj
to bend. √88. Cf. Fugitive
.] 1.
To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
We
bow
things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness. Milton.
The whole nation
bowed
their necks to the worst kind of tyranny. Prescott.
2.
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Adversities do more
bow
men’s minds to religion. Bacon.
Not to
bow
and bias their opinions. Fuller.
3.
To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
They came to meet him, and
bowed
themselves to the ground before him. 2 Kings ii. 15.
4.
To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;[GREEK] to crush; to subdue.
Whose heavy hand hath
bowed
you to the grave. Shakespeare
5.
To express by bowing;
as, to
. bow
one's thanksBow
(bou)
, Verb.
I.
1.
To bend; to curve.
[Obs.]
2.
To stop.
[Archaic]
They stoop, they
bow
down together. Is. xlvi. 2[GREEK]
3.
To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; – often with down.
O come, let us worship and
bow
down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. Ps. xcv. 6.
4.
To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
Admired, adored by all circling crowd,
For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they
For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they
bowed
. Dryden.
Bow
(bou)
, Noun.
An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance;
as, a
. bow
of deep humilityBow
(bō)
, Noun.
[OE. ]
bowe
, boge
, AS. boga
, fr. AS. būgan
to bend; akin to D. boog
, G. bogen
, Icel. bogi
. See Bow
, Verb.
T.
1.
Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
I do set my
bow
in the cloud. Gen. ix. 13.
2.
A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
3.
An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
4.
The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
5.
(Mus.)
An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
6.
An arcograph.
7.
(Mech. & Manuf.)
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
8.
(Naut.)
A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
9.
(Saddlery)
s
ing.
or pl.
Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow bearer
(O. Eng. Law)
, an under officer of the forest who looked after trespassers.
– Bow drill
, a drill worked by a bow and string.
– Bow instrument
(Mus.)
, any stringed instrument from which the tones are produced by the bow.
– Bow window
(Arch.)
See
– Bay window
. To draw a long bow
, to lie; to exaggerate.
[Colloq.]
Bow
(bō)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Bowed
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Bowing
.] To play (music) with a bow.
– Verb.
I.
To manage the bow.
1.
(Naut.)
The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
2.
(Naut.)
One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
Bow chaser
(Naut.)
, a gun in the bow for firing while chasing another vessel.
Totten.
–
Bow piece
, a piece of ordnance carried at the bow of a ship.
– On the bow
(Naut.)
, on that part of the horizon within 45° on either side of the line ahead.
Totten.
Webster 1828 Edition
Bow
BOW
,Verb.
T.
1.
To bend; to inflect; as, to bow vines.2.
To bend the body in token of respect or civility; as, to bow the head.3.
To bend or incline towards, in condescension.Bow down thine ear to the poor. Eccles.
4.
To depress; to crush; to subdue.His heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
He bows the nations to his will.
BOW
,Verb.
I.
This is the idol to which the world bows.
1.
To stoop; to fall upon the knees.The people bowed upon their knees.
2.
To sink under pressure.They stoop; they bow down together. Isaiah.
BOW
,Noun.
BOW
,Noun.
1.
Any thing bent, or in form of a curve; the rainbow; the doubling of a string in a knot; the part of a yoke which embraces the neck; &c.2.
A small machine, formed with a stick and hairs, which being drawn over the strings of an instrument of music, causes it to sound.3.
A beam of wood or brass, with three long screws that direct a lathe of wood or steel to any arch; used in forming drafts of ships, and projections of the sphere, or wherever it is necessary to draw large arches.4.
An instrument for taking the sun's altitude at sea, consisting of a large arch of ninety degrees graduated, a shank or staff, a side-vane, a sight-vane, and a horizon-vane; now disused.5.
An instrument in use among smiths for turning a drill; with turners, for turning wood; with hatters, for breaking fur and wool.6.
Bows of a saddle, are the two pieces of wood laid archwise to receive the upper part of a horse's back, to give the saddle its due form, and to keep it tight.7.
Bow of a ship, is the rounding part of her side forward, beginning where the planks arch inwards, and terminating where they close, at the stem or prow. A narrow bow is called a lean bow; a broad one, a bold or bluff bow.On the bow, in navigation, is an arch of the horizon, not exceeding 45 degrees, comprehended between some distant object, and that point of the compass which is right ahead.