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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Bow Meaning: Verb & Noun with Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：bend forward in respect (bow)

bow 🔊

/baʊ/

v. n.

To bend your head or the top part of your body forward to show respect or agreement.

Person bowing forward in respectful greeting side view

bend forward in respect 🔊

➕

/bend ˈfɔːrwərd ɪn rɪˈspekt/

v. n.

The act of inclining the head or upper body forward as a sign of greeting, deference, or acknowledgment.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English 'būgan' (to bend) and 'boga' (bow), both from Proto-Germanic *bugōn-.

💡 Mnemonic

Bend like a bow when you bow; a bow bends to launch an arrow or caress a violin string.

📖 Example

At the end of the concert, the pianist stood up and bowed deeply to the cheering audience. 🔊 After the performance, the musician leaned forward from the waist to thank the applauding crowd.

🔗 Collocations

bow to someone – to bend forward to show respect to someone

bow one's head – to lower the head, often in shame or prayer

bow out – to withdraw gracefully from a situation

🔄 Synonyms

curtsey (v.) – to bend the knees and lower the body as a gesture of respect, typically by women

genuflect (v.) – to bend one knee as a sign of reverence, especially in church

stoop (v.) – to bend forward and downward, though not necessarily out of respect

🚫 Antonyms

straighten (v.) – to make straight or stand upright

rise (v.) – to move to an upright position from a bowed or kneeling one

defy (v.) – to resist or refuse to show respect

🌱 Derivatives

bowed (adj.) – bent or curved, or having the head lowered

bowing (adj.) – bending forward; in the process of showing respect

unbowed (adj.) – not bent; not defeated or humbled

📖 Cultural Story

The verb and noun share a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to bend'. In medieval England, archery was mandatory, making the 'bow' a crucial tool. The verb's sense of bending forward in respect appears in Old English literature.

Meaning 2：curved tool for archery and music (bow)

bow 🔊

/baʊ/

v. n.

A weapon made of a curved piece of wood with a string, used for shooting arrows. Also, the stick with hair used to play a violin.

Modern recurve bow for archery close-up isolated

curved tool for archery and music 🔊

➕

/kɜːrvd tuːl fɔːr ˈɑːrtʃəri ænd ˈmjuːzɪk/

v. n.

A curved piece of material with a string stretched between its ends, used to launch arrows; also, a similar stick with horsehair for playing stringed instruments like the violin.

📁 Category：Entertainment & Sports 🔖 Level：beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

For his birthday, he received a traditional wooden bow and a set of arrows to practice archery. 🔊 On his birthday, he was given a classic wooden bow along with arrows for archery practice.

🔗 Collocations

draw a bow – to pull the string of a bow in preparation to shoot an arrow

bow and arrow – the set consisting of a bow and the arrows used with it

violin bow – the stick with horsehair used to play the violin

🔄 Synonyms

longbow (n.) – a large, straight bow made from a single piece of wood, used historically in archery

recurve (n.) – a type of bow with tips that curve away from the archer when unstrung, common in modern archery

fiddle stick (n.) – an informal term for a violin bow

🌱 Derivatives

bowman (n.) – a person who uses a bow and arrows; an archer

bowstring (n.) – the string stretched between the ends of a bow

bowshot (n.) – the distance an arrow can be shot from a bow