bow

1 : to cease from competition or resistance : submit, yield refusing to bow to the inevitable— John O'Hara also : to suffer defeat bowed to the champion

2 : to bend the head, body, or knee in reverence, submission, or shame Bow before the king. bowed her head in shame

3 : to incline the head or body in salutation or assent or to acknowledge applause bowing to the audience

4 : debut the play will bow next month

1 : to cause to incline wind bowing the treetops

2 : to incline especially in respect or submission bow their heads in prayer

3 : to crush with a heavy burden whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave Shakespeare

2 : a weapon that is used to propel an arrow and that is made of a strip of flexible material (such as wood) with a cord connecting the two ends and holding the strip bent hunting with bow and arrow

3 : archer

1 : to bend into a curve the wall bows a little

2 music : to play a stringed instrument with a bow (see bow entry 3 sense 5a)

1 : to cause to bend into a curve Years of riding had bowed his legs.

2 music : to play (a stringed instrument) with a bow bowing the strings

1 nautical : the forward part of a ship —often used in plural crossing the bows

2 nautical : bowman entry 2