noun

bow

BOH

noun

A weapon made from a curved piece of flexible material strung with a cord, used to shoot arrows.

"The archer drew back her bow and released the arrow."

A rod strung with hair, used to play a stringed instrument.

"He rosined his bow before the concert began."

A knot with two loops, often used for decoration or to tie laces.

"She tied the ribbon into a neat bow."

The front part of a ship or boat.

"Waves crashed over the bow as the storm picked up."

verb

To bend forward at the waist, or lower the head, as a sign of respect or greeting.

"The performers bowed as the audience applauded."

To give in or stop resisting.

"The government eventually bowed to public pressure."

How to Use Bow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepending on context: a weapon for arrows, a musical rod, a decorative knot, the front of a ship, or the act of bending forward in respect.

Common mistake

Two different pronunciations: "bow" (rhymes with "go") for the weapon/knot/violin-rod, and "bow" (rhymes with "cow") for bending or a ship's front.

Common pairings

bow and arrow take a bow bow to pressure bow tie

Word Forms

bowed past tense, bowed past tense, bows plural, bows plural, bows plural, bows singular, bows singular

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The archer drew back her _____ and released the arrow.

Etymology

From Old English boga, related to a Germanic root meaning "to bend" — the same root behind German Bogen.

Rhymes for bow

elbow rainbow crossbow

See all rhymes for bow →