Webster's English Dictionarybow
1. bow \'bau.\ vb [ME bowen, fr. OE bu-gan; akin to OHG biogan to bend, Skt]bhujati he bends 1: SUBMIT, YIELD 2: to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame 3: to incline the head or body in salutation, assent, or to acknowledge ap plause 1: to cause to incline 2: to incline (as the head) esp. in respect or submission 3: to crush with or as if with a heavy burden 4a: to express by bowing 4b: to usher in or out with a bow 2. bow n : a bending of the head or body in respect, submission, assent, or salutat ion 3. bow \'bo-\ n [ME bowe, fr. OE boga; akin to OE bu-gan] 1a: something bent into a simple curve : BEND, ARCH 1b: RAINBOW 2: a weapon made of a strip of flexible material (as wood) with a cord conn ecting the two ends and holding the strip bent and used to propel an arrow 3: BOWMAN, ARCHER 4a: a metal ring or loop forming a handle (as of a key) 4b: a knot formed by doubling a ribbon or string into two or more loops 4c: BOW TIE 4d: a frame for the lenses of eyeglasses; also : the curved sidepie ce of the frame passing over the ear 5a: a resilient wooden rod with horsehairs stretched from end to end used i n playing an instrument of the viol or violin family 5b: a stroke of such a bow 4. bow \'bo-\ vi 1: to bend into a curve 2: to play a stringed musical instrument with a bow 1: to bend into a curve 2: to play (a stringed instrument) with a bow 5. bow \'bau.\ n [prob. fr. Dan bov shoulder, bow, fr. ON bo-gr; akin to OE bo]-g bough 1: the forward part of a ship 2: BOWMAN