bow

[US]/baʊ/
[UK]/baʊ/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

n. a weapon for shooting arrows, typically consisting of a curved piece of wood whose ends are joined by a taut string, used for archery
n. a gesture of respect or reverence made by bending the body with one's face towards the ground
n. the forward part of a ship or boat
vi. to bend the body as a gesture of respect or reverence
vi. to incline the body downward
vt. to bend the body as a gesture of respect or reverence
vt. to incline the body downward
adj. curved or bent in shape

Phrases & Collocations

take a bow

bow and arrow

bow down

bow in

bow tie

bow wave

bow out

bulbous bow

on the bow

Example Sentences

Bow to the Queen.

a clip-on bow tie.

bow in suppliance for knowledge

a man drew a bow at a venture.

bow in a pompous manner

he bowed with great dignity.

silver bows and gaudy ribbons.

a hole in the bow of the ship made by a torpedo.

They bowed in homage to the Unknown Soldiers.

To enclose in or as if in a bower; embower.

a saucy red bow tie.

bowed us into the restaurant.

Grief bowed them down.

He drew the bow and shot an arrow.

a shady bower in the garden

they refused to bow down before the king.

the creepers were bowed down with flowers.

Real-world Examples

The symphony conductor took a ceremonious bow.

Source: IELTS Vocabulary: Category Recognition

You tilt your head forward when you bow.

Source: Liu Yi's breakthrough of 5000 English vocabulary words.

You need legs to work a bow. Hmm.

Source: Game of Thrones (Season 1)

I saw you practicing a bow last night.

Source: Modern Family - Season 04

He set to work at once to make a bow and arrows.

Source: Brave New World

The double bass of the--but is it bowed?

Source: Listening to Music (Video Version)

That should just about put a bow on it.

Source: Science 60 Seconds - Scientific American November 2020 Collection

Now get all your ingredients into that big big bow.

Source: Healthy food

And third, it's a shot across America's bow.

Source: NPR News March 2016 Collection

It is conventional for Japanese to bow to one another.

Source: Lai Shixiong Advanced English Vocabulary 3500

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