bow

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old English boga, from Proto-Germanic *bugan-. Cognate with Dutch boog, German Bogen, Swedish båge, Danish bög, Norwegian arc.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

a bow (1)

Singular
bow

Plural
bows

bow (plural bows)

  1. A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
  2. A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
  3. A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
  4. A stringed instrument, similar to the item described above.
  5. A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.

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[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to bow

Third person singular
bows

Simple past
bowed

Past participle
bowed

Present participle
bowing

to bow (third-person singular simple present bows, present participle bowing, simple past and past participle bowed)

  1. To play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow.
    The musician bowed his violin expertly.
  2. (intransitive) To become bent or curved.
    The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
  3. (transitive) To make something bend or curve.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

From Old English būgan, from Proto-Germanic *beugan. Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen.

[edit] Pronunciation

Homophones: bough

[edit] Noun

Singular
bow

Plural
bows

bow (plural bows)

  1. A gesture, usually showing respect, made by bending forward at the waist.
    He bowed politely as he entered the room.
  2. A debut
    The new product will make its bow on the world market this summer.
    • 1832, “Literary Notices”[1], The Rail-Road Journal, Vol. 1 No. 1, page 123: 
      The first named one, it will be observed, is but a debutant. It makes its bow in a drab-colored Quaker-looking dress, and barring a lively McGrawler-like critique upon " Lewis' Poems," is staid and professorial in its tone.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to bow

Third person singular
bows

Simple past
bowed

Past participle
bowed

Present participle
bowing

to bow (third-person singular simple present bows, present participle bowing, simple past and past participle bowed)

  1. (intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
  2. (transitive and intransitive) To debut.

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[edit] Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

[edit] Etymology 3

Low German

[edit] Pronunciation

Homophones: bough

[edit] Noun

The bow of a ship.

Singular
bow

Plural
bows

bow (plural bows)

  1. (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.

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