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 bowed.
Dryden.
Bow
(Bow) n. 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 humility.
Bow
(Bow) n. [OE. bowe, boge, AS. boga, fr. AS. bugan to bend; akin to D. boog, G. bogen, Icel.
bogi. See Bow, v. 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) sing. 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
(Bow) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Bowed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Bowing.] To play (music) with a bow. — v.
i. To manage the bow.
Bow
(Bow) n. [Icel. bogr shoulder, bow of a ship. See Bough.]
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.
