▪ I. bow, n.1
(bəʊ)
Forms: 1 boᵹa, 3–4 boȝe, (3 bou), 3–7 bowe, 4 bouwe, boghe (boȝ), 4–5 boowe, 6 boe, (boll), 4– bow.
[Com. Teut.: OE. boᵹa, corresp. to OFris. boga, OS. bogo (MDu. booghe, Du. boog), OHG. bogo (MHG. boge, mod.G. bogen), ON. bogi (Sw. båge, Da. bue):—OTeut. *bugon-, f. stem bug- of beugan, to bend.]
I. 1. a. gen. A thing bent or fashioned so as to form part of the circumference of a circle or other curve; a bend, a bent line.
Not actually exemplified in OE., but entering into numerous compounds, as elnboᵹa elbow, hring-boᵹa ‘ring-bow,’ a coiled snake, rén-boᵹa rain-bow, stán-boᵹa ‘stone-bow,’ an arch, boᵹa-net bow-net. In ME. the general sense was often supplied from French by arch, but bow is occasional. (In quot. 1387, it is quite possible that bowe is the Norse bug-r bend, bowing, the bend of a river.)
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (1865) II. 87 From þe bowe of the ryuer of Humber. 1541 Elyot Image Gov. 100 The Theatre was a place made in the fourme of a bowe, that hath a great bente. 1846 Ellis Elgin Marb. II. 13 The floating drapery describes a bow above her head. |
b. Calligraphy. A curved stroke forming part of a letter.
| 1914 E. A. Loew Beneventan Script vii. 127 The important elements of which the letters are composed are..the bow, the tall upright stem, [etc.]. 1957 N. R. Ker Catal. MSS. Anglo-Saxon p. xxx, The bow of p is regularly open in the early manuscripts. |
II. Specific uses.
2. A rainbow. (Mostly contextual or poetical for the compound.)
| a 1000 ælfric Gen. ix. 14 æteowþ min boᵹa on ðam wolcnum. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 284 Heo þone heofonlican boᵹan mid hyre bleoᵹe efenlæce. c 1340 Cursor M. 1977 (Fairf.) Quen þou þat boghe may se þer-oute of suche flode haue þou na doute. 1382 Wyclif Ecclus. xliii. 12 See the bowe, and blisse hym that made it. 1597 Drayton Mortimer. 53 The bowe appeares to tell the flood is donne. c 1630 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems Wks. (1711) 56/2 Ropes make of the rainy bow. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 865 A dewie Cloud, and in the Cloud a Bow. 1728 Thomson Spring 203 Bestriding earth, the grand ethereal bow. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. cxxii. 190 Every dew-drop paints a bow. |
† 3. An arch (of masonry), as in a gateway, or bridge.
Obs. exc. dial.| a 1000 Beowulf (Z.) 2719 Ða stan boᵹan stapulum fæste. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 323 Þurȝ drwry deth boȝ vch ma dreue. 1382 Wyclif Prov. xx. 26 He bowith in vpon hem a stonene bowe. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 125 After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe [Cambr. MS. stratforthe at the bowe]. 1483 Cath. Angl. 31/1 A Bowe of a bryge. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. x. 10 Thai portis with thair stalwart bow and brace. 1513–75 Diurnal Occurrents (1833) 211 At Bessie Beaties hous, in the passage to the over boll. 1570–87 Holinshed Scot. Chron. (1806) II. 327 Their heads were set..on the neither-bow. 1862 Barnes Rhymes Dorset. Dial. II. 75 By the mossy brudge's bow. |
4. a. A weapon for shooting arrows or similar missiles, consisting of a strip of elastic wood or other material, bent by means of a string stretched between its two ends; the arrow is impelled by the recoil which follows the retraction of the string. Phrases.
to bend or draw a bow,
to shoot with (formerly in) a bow.
bows and bills! the cry of alarm raised in the English camp in old times. See also
cross-bow,
stone-bow.
| a 1000 Gnomic Vers. 154 (Gr.) Boᵹa sceal stræle. c 1205 Lay. 6471 Enne boȝe swiðe strong. a 1225 Ancr. R. 250 He tobrekeð his bowe. 1340 Ayenb. 45 An archer..nom his boȝe. 1382 Wyclif 1 Kings xxii. 34 A maner man bente a boowe. a 1400 Cov. Myst. 45 My bowe xal I drawe. 1557 Tottel's Misc. 265 He claymed Cupides boe. 1562 Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 61 Many a man speaketh of Robyn hood, That neuer shot in his bowe. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. 28 (Jam.) The schout ryises, Bowes and Billis!..whiche is a significatioun of extreim defence. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iii. ii. 48 Hee drew a good Bow..hee shot a fine shoote. 1607 Dekker Northw. Hoe v. Wks. 1873 III. 80 Its better to shoot in a bowe that has been shot in before. 1671 Milton P.R. iii. 305 They issue forth, steel bows and shafts their arms. 1830 Sir J. Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. iii. iii. (1851) 273 The bow of Ulysses, which none but its master could bend. 1877 Bryant Among Trees 96 While yet the Indian hunter drew the bow. |
b. transf. A bowman (in plural).
| c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 34/2, x. M. knyghtes..vi. M. crosse bowes, xv. M. longe bowes, and xl. M. othere men. 1577 Holinshed Chron. III. 1259/1 There was among these a thirtie bowes with a bagpipe. 1825 Scott Talism. x, A strong guard of bills and bows. |
c. fig. with many phrases:
e.g. to have two (many, etc.) strings to one's bow: to have two (or many) resources or alternatives.
to draw the longbow: to make exaggerated statements (
colloq.).
† the bent of one's bow: one's intention, inclination, disposition, ‘calibre’ (
cf. bent n.2 8, 9).
† to shoot in (another's) bow: to practise an art other than one's own.
† by the string rather than the bow: by the most direct way. Proverb,
a bow too long bent waxes dull: relaxation is desirable; hence in other allusive phrases.
| c 1532 Sir Adrian Fortescue in Oxf. Dict. Proverbs (1948) 59/1 A bowe that is longe bent, will waxe dulle. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 30 Ye haue many stryngis to the bowe. Ibid. 165, I haue the bent of his bowe, that I know. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 116 My counsaile is that thou have more strings to thy bow than one. 1678 Butler Hud. iii. i. 3 As he that has two strings t' his bow, And burns for love and money too. 1690 W. Walker Idiomat. Anglo-Lat. Pref. 4 To save..the labour of turning from place to place with references, which to some is tedious and to all unpleasing who love to go by the string rather than by the bow. 1721 J. Kelly Scot. Proverbs 33 A Bow o'er bent will weaken. Eng. All Work and no Play makes Jack a dull Boy. 1783 Ainsworth Lat. Dict. (Morell) i. s.v. Bent, I have got the bend of his bow, ego illius sensum pulchrè calleo. 1812 Jane Austen Mansf. Park viii. (D.) Miss Bertram..might be said to have two strings to her bow. 1817 Keats Let. 5 Sept. (1931) I. 38 But let us refresh ourself from this depth of thinking, and turn to some innocent jocularity—the Bow cannot always be bent. 1824 Byron Juan xvi. i, They..draw the long bow better now than ever. 1876 C. M. Yonge Womankind xi. 80 A strain which makes it very desirable..to unbend the bow, by a journey abroad, a sea-side sojourn. |
† d. to bend or bring (a person) to one's bow:
i.e. to one's will, inclination, or control.
to come to (a person's) bow: to become compliant or subject. (Here there may have been later association with
bow n.2)
| 1631 Foxe's A. & M. III. xii. 880/2 Perceiuing they could not bend him vnto their bowe. 1633 H. Cogan Pinto's Trav. lxxii. (1663) 294 All this he did cunningly, hoping by this means to bring him to his bowe with less peril. 1650 T. Hubbert Pill Formality 22 To bear such sway and rule over others that they must have all men come to their bow. 1675 Brooks Gold. Key Wks. (1867) V. 497 Neither Darius, his presidents, nor princes, could ever bring Daniel to their bow. 1682 Bunyan Holy War 30 Mansoul being wholly at his beck, and brought wholly to his bow. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1729) II. ii. 5 The Dutch..have lately endeavoured to bring the King..to their Bow. |
e. Cupid's bow: see
Cupid 1 b.
† 5. a. A yoke for oxen.
Obs. or
dial.| c 1400 Destr. Troy 901 [Oxin] als..bowande to þe bowes as any bestes might. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §5 His oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to them, that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge temes. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. iii. 80 As the Oxe hath his bow sir, the horse his curb, etc. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 322 Bow, an Ox-bow or Yoak. 1721 Bailey, Bow, or Ox-Bow, a Yoke of Oxen. C[ountry Word]. |
b. pl. Two pieces of wood laid archwise to fit a horse's back, give the saddle its due form, and keep it tight: see
saddle-bow.
6. Music.
a. [from 4.] The appliance with which instruments of the violin class are played, being a rod of elastic wood with a number of horse-hairs stretched from end to end, which is drawn across the strings, and causes them to sound. (It was formerly curved, with a cord instead of the hairs, thus resembling an archer's bow.)
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, L'Archet d'vn rebec..the bowe of a viole. 1776 Burney Hist. Mus. (1789) I. 271 The bow now in use was..unknown to the ancients. 1807 Robinson Archæol. Græca v. xxiii. 537 They struck the strings sometimes with a bow, and sometimes only with the fingers. 1880 Grove Dict. Mus. II. 632 [Paganini] made his staccato by throwing the bow violently on the string. |
b. [
f. bow v.] A single passage of the bow across the string.
| 1838 W. Gardiner Music of Nat. 120 In Beethoven..we find many bars included in one bow. |
c. transf. Part of an insect's wing resembling a violin-bow in function.
| 1836–9 Todd Cycl. Anat. & Phys. II. 928/2 When the wings are rubbed briskly together these rasps or bows produce a loud grating against some projecting nervures. |
7. Applied to parts of the body resembling a bow.
† a. The iris of the eye.
b. The eye-brow.
Obs.| 1611 Cotgr., Arc..the bow, or Iris of the eye. 1729 T. Cooke Tales 64 The Bows her Eyes above. Ibid. 103 How have I prais'd thy Cheeks where Roses blow! How dwell'd with Wonder on thy sable Bow! |
† 8. An arc of a circle.
Obs.| 1594 Blundevil Exerc. iii. i. (ed. 7) 274 The circular line..is called arcus, in English the bow. 1660 H. Bloome Archit. B iij, Where that Circle cutteth the 12 part..divide above the bowe thereof..in foure. 1674 N. Fairfax Bulk & Selv. 68 The motion would be..a bow or arch of a circle. Ibid. 117 A wheel of manifold rims..would make out uneven bows of circles, in even shares of time. |
† 9. ‘An astronomical instrument formerly used at sea, consisting of only one large graduated arc of 90°, three vanes, and a shank or staff.’ Smyth
Sailor's Word-bk.| 1696 Phillips, Bow, a Mathematical Instrument to take heights. [1706 Ibid. A Mathematical Instrument, formerly us'd by Seamen to take the height of the sun.] |
10. An instrument for drawing curves, especially of large radius, consisting of a rigid beam, and a strip of wood, steel, or the like, which is bent into the required shape by means of screws.
| 1706 Phillips, Bow, a Beam of Wood or Brass, with three long Screws that direct a Lath of Wood or Steel to any Arch; being commonly us'd to make Draughts of Ships, Projections of the Sphere, etc. [So Bailey 1731, Johnson, etc.] |
11. a. A ring or hoop of metal, etc. forming a handle.
Cf. bail n.2,
boul.
| 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Anneau, The bow (or vpmost part) of a key. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 3054/4 A pair of Scissars with silver Bowes. 1730 Savery in Phil. Trans. XXXVI. 328 It..lifted a Key by the Bow. 1833 J. Holland Manuf. Metals II. 39 Fancy scissors with shanks and bows of gold. 1863 Atkinson Danby Provinc., Bow, a semicircular hoop or handle to anything, as a basket, a backstone or a pail. 1884 F. J. Britten Watch & Clockm. 36 The ring of a watch case by which it is attached to the watch guard is..called a bow. |
b. The guard of a sword-hilt, or of a trigger.
| 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3723/4 A silver-hilted Sword without a Bow. 1881 Greener Gun 328 The lever being so shaped and adjusted as to form the bow. |
c. A bent strip of wood or metal to support the hood, cover, etc. of a vehicle; a bail or slat.
d. A curved piece of metal used to make contact with an overhead wire in electric traction;
= bow trolley (see 19 below). Also
attrib.| 1909 Cent. Dict. Suppl., Bow-spring, in electr. traction, the spring which keeps the bow spread out, when a bow is used to take current from a trolley-wire. |
e. A leg of a pair of spectacles; also, the frame of either of the lenses.
U.S.| 1711 in Essex Inst. Hist. Coll. (Salem, Mass.) IV. 187/1 To Madam Rebekah Brown, I give my spectacles with gold bows. 1847 Longfellow Evang. i. iii. 4 Glasses with horn bows Sat astride on his nose. 1890 Harper's Mag. Oct. 720/1 A pair of ancient silver-rimmed spectacles from which the bows were lost. |
12. Arch. a. (See
quots.)
| a 1723 Wren in Gwilt Archit. 1006 The vaults of the nave..are supported..by the bowes or flying buttresses. Ibid. Gloss. Bow, the part of any building which projects from a straight wall. It is sometimes circular and sometimes polygonal on the plan, or rather formed by two exterior obtuse angles. Bows on polygonal plans are called canted bows. [Hence bow-window.] |
b. Short for
bow-window.
| 1885 Harper's Mag. Mar. 547/1 Two little windows..replaced by an ample bow. |
13. A name of various instruments or tools consisting of a curved piece of wood, with a string extending from one extremity to the other; used,
e.g. by smiths, etc. for turning a drill; by turners for turning wood; by hatters for separating the fibres of fur or wool.
| 1875 Ure Dict. Arts II. 784 Hat Manuf., After the fur is thus driven by the bow from one end of the hurdle to the other, it forms a mass called a bat. |
14. An Indian musical instrument.
| 1872 S. Mateer Travancore 217 The favorite instrument is the bow. A series of bells of various sizes is fastened to the frame of a gigantic bow, and the strings are tightened so as to produce a musical note when struck. |
† 15. A bow's length, used as a measure of length in archery: chiefly in
fig. phrases.
Obs.| 1592 Greene Upst. Courtier in Harl. Misc. (Malh.) II. 224 Alas! proud princox, you pearch a bow to hie. ― Disput. 2 No, no, Nan, you are two bowes downe the wind. 1607 Middleton Michaelm. Term iv. i, I am not a bow wide of your mind, sir. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, xi, Some men will haue an ayme Sixe Bowes beyond the Levell w{supc}{suph} they made. |
16. a. ‘The doubling of a string in a slip-knot’ (J.); a single-looped knot.
b. A double-looped ornamental knot into which ribbons, etc., are tied (the usual sense).
c. A necktie, ribbon, etc., tied up in such a knot. So
bow-knot.
| 1547 Salesbury Welsh Dict., Kwlwm dalen, a bowe knot. 1671 Crowne Juliana iii. 33 What knot? a bow-knot? A bow-knot saucy-chops? ha! can you tye your nose of a bow-knot? 1676 Wiseman (J.), Make a knot and let the second knot be with a bow. 1768 Sterne Sent. Journ. (1778) I. 5 Tying up the ribband in a bow-knot, [I] returned it to her. 1861 Mrs. Stowe Pearl Orr's Isl. I. v. 30 When he had once seated himself in a double bow-knot at a neighbor's evening fireside. 1874 Queen 8 Aug., The sleeves were..ornamented with bows of brown faille. a 1887 Mod. Her sash was tied in a bow. 1896 Godey's Mag. Apr. 446/2 A woman with her back doubled into a bow-knot. |
III. attrib. and
Comb. 17. attrib. or as adj. Bent like a bow, bowed.
| 1592 Shakes. Ven. & Ad. 619 On his bow-backe, he hath a battell set, Of brisly pikes. 1678 Lond. Gaz. No. 1272/4 He is aged about 25 years..a bowe nose a little sharp and reddish. 1703 Ibid. No. 3951/4 Lewis Branson..with fair Hair and bow Legs. 1832 Marryat N. Forster vi, A little fat man with bow legs. |
18. Obvious comb., as
bow-chest,
bow-maker;
bow-bending,
bow-like,
bow-played,
bow-shaped adjs.| a 1688 Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.) Poems (1775) 142 *Bow-bending Cupid. |
| 1515–24 in E. Lodge Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1838) I. 2 To my Lord D'Arcy, by 3 warrants; bows of yew, 4074..*bow chests and arrow chests, 240. |
| 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. xxxii. (1614) 63/1 Whose East coasts lye *bowe-like into the German ocean. 1859 R. Burton Centr. Afr. in Jrnl. Geog. Soc. XXIX. 320 [Lips] pointed in the centre with that bowlike form which Europeans hold beautiful. |
| 1864 Hist. Violin in Eng. Mech. (1870) 11 Feb. 536/2 John Dodd was..England's best *bow-maker. |
| 1836 Dubourg Violin ix. (1878) 274 The construction of *bow-played instruments. |
| a 1887 Mod. A *bow-shaped curvature. |
19. Special comb.
bow-and-arrow attrib., belonging to or characteristic of the period when the bow and arrow was the chief weapon of war;
bow-arm, the arm that holds the bow (in archery or in violin-playing);
bow-beaked a., having a curved beak;
bow-bender, ? a bow-bearer;
bow-bent a., bent like a bow, bowed;
bow-boy, a boy with a bow (applied to Cupid);
bow-brace, a guard to protect the left arm from the friction of the bowstring;
† bow closet, a closet in a recess in the wall of a room;
bow-drill, a drill turned by means of a bow, the string of which is twisted round the drill (see sense 13);
bow-fin, a kind of fish (
Amia calva);
bow-houghed a., having crooked hips;
bow-instrument, an instrument played with a bow, as a violin;
bow-iron (see
quot.);
bow-key U.S. = bow-pin;
bow-knot (see sense 16);
† bow-lap, a term describing a particular posture of the leaves of a plant (see
quot.);
† bow-marks, butts for archery;
bow-meeting, a meeting for the practice of archery;
bow-necked a., having a curved neck;
bow-(neck)tie, a necktie in the shape of a bow (sense 16 b);
bow-pen,
bow-pencil, a bow-compass with a pen or pencil;
bow-pin, a key or cotter to fasten the bow of an ox-yoke;
bow-saw, a saw with a narrow blade stretched in a strong frame as the bowstring in the bow;
bow-spring, a bow-shaped spring;
bow-stock, the stock or longitudinal beam of a cross-bow;
† bow-tree, the wooden part of an archer's bow;
bow trolley, a device for collecting the current from an overhead wire in electric traction;
† bow-ward, a nick in the end of the stem of a key where it joins the bow (see sense 11);
bow-whip U.S. (see
quot.);
bow-woman (
nonce-wd.), a female archer;
bow-wood, the wood of the Osage Orange (
Maclura aurantiaca).
| 1899 Westm. Gaz. 27 July 2/2 We may yet work back to the *bow-and-arrow period if modern inventions make war with their aid too grotesquely horrible and difficult. 1907 Macm. Mag. Oct. 935 Bow-and-arrow men. |
| 1860 Archer's Guide 44 The Brace buckles round the *bow-arm, to prevent the string hurting it. 1881 Broadhouse Mus. Acoust. 167 A steady and practised use of the bow-arm. |
| 1791 Cowper Iliad xvi. 521 Two vultures..*Bow-beak'd, crook-talon'd. |
| 1719 J. Aubrey Surrey III. 74 Sir Thomas Carwarden, Kt...was *Bow-Bender to King Henry VIII. |
| 1592 Greene Groat's-w. Wit (1874) 13 Hee would stroake his *bowbent leg, as though he went to shoote loue arrows from his shins. 1628 Milton Vac. Exerc. 69 A sibyl old, bow-bent with crooked age. |
| 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. ii. iv. 16 His heart cleft with the blind *Bowe-boyes but-shaft. |
| 1758 Mrs. Delany To Mrs. Dewes 542 A little shell ornament for my *bow closet. |
| 1865 Tylor Early Hist. Man. ix. 243 The *bow-drill is a most ancient and well known boring instrument. |
| 1880 Gunther Fishes 372 The *‘Bow-fin’ or ‘Mud-fish’ is not uncommon in..fresh waters of the United States. |
| 1672 Phil. Trans. VII. 5064 One of the G. Dukes Musicians, & plays on all *Bow-Instruments. |
| a 1877 Knight Dict. Mech., *Bow-iron, the staple on the side of a wagon-bed which receives the bows of the tilt or cover. |
| 1859 J. Young in B. Young et al. Jrnl. Discourses VI. 230/2 You that have on such a yoke had better pull out the *bow-keys. 1913 M. Stacpoole Monte Carlo vi. 63 He was wearing a rather exaggerated *bow necktie. |
| 1672 Grew Anat. Plants i. iv. §16 There is the *Bow-Lap, where the leaves are all laid somewhat convexly one over another, but not plaited. |
| 1877 All Y. Round 29 Sept. 186 The character of these *bow-meetings varies. |
| 1858 Lytton What will he do ii. iv, Showy, *bow-necked, long-tailed..hybrids. |
| 1869 Eng. Mech. 19 Mar. 574/2 In tracing a circle with a *bow-pen. |
| 1856 Mich. State Agric. Soc. Trans. 1855 VII. 55 Sample *bow pins. |
| 1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. (1703) 102 The Frame or *Bow-Saw. |
| 1840 Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl. III. 56/2 A vertebrated carriage..with *bow-spring bearers and buffers. |
| 1897 Sears, Roebuck Catal. 223/2 Gentlemen's silk *bow ties. For turn-down collar. 1910 Westm. Gaz. 24 Jan. 3/1 He wore a check suit..and a pink cotton bow-tie. |
| ? c 1500 Robin Hood (Ritson) i. i. 288 Lytell Johan toke none other mesure But his *bowe tre. |
| 1901 Trans. Amer. Inst. Elect. Engin. 111 (Cent. Dict. Suppl. s.v. Trolley), *Bow trolley. 1902 Encycl. Brit. XXVIII. 98 On the continent of Europe considerable use has been made of bow trolleys, which consist of light metallic bow-shaped structures..running along on the under side of the wire against which they rub. |
| 1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. (1703) 23 H the Shank..K the *Bow-ward, L the bow. |
| 1890 Harper's Mag. Oct. 718/1 His whip was the fashionable ‘*bow whip’ of the period, common enough now, to be sure, with a long lash, tapering down to a fine silk ‘snapper’ on the end. |
| 1877 All Y. Round 29 Sept. 188 The performances of the bowmen are decidedly distanced by those of the *bowwomen. |
| 1866 Treas. Bot., s.v. Maclura, Its elastic yellow wood is called *Bow-wood, from its being used by the Indians for making bows. |
Add:
[19.] bow-hunter chiefly
N. Amer. and
N.Z., one who hunts deer, etc. with a bow as
opp. to a gun (in
N.Z., as a target competition); also
bow-hunting vbl. n. and (as a back-formation)
bow-hunt v. trans.| 1939 P. H. Gordon New Archery ii. v. 60 Another *bow hunter who has captured the fancy of the sport-minded world is Sasha Siemel, the ‘tiger man’ of Matto Grosso. 1947 Collier's 4 Jan. 46/2 *Bow hunting is something else. You must hunt even harder and more adroitly than the chap with the rifle because..one chance is all the bow hunter gets. 1968 Wanganui (N.Z.) Photo News 6 July 23 The arrows were whistling in all directions at Upokongaru at Queen's Birthday weekend when the New Zealand bowhunters competitions were staged. 1971 Outdoor Life Mar. 211/1 Since then I have *bowhunted chucks at every opportunity. 1980 Northeast Woods & Waters Dec. 24/3 Bowhunting the whitetail deer played a major role in the Safari. 1984 L. Mantell Murder in Vain iv. 54 Bowhunter's arrow. Don't go in for bowhunting myself. Mostly straight target shooting. |
▪ II. bow, n.2 (
baʊ)
[f. bow v.1 9.] An inclination of the body or head in salutation and in token of respect, reverence, submission, etc.; an obeisance.
to make one's bow: to retire, leave the stage.
| a 1656 Cowley Liberty Wks. 1710 II. 686 That I do you with humble Bows..adore. 1710 Steele Tatler No. 16 ¶2 Making Bows till his Buttons touch'd the Ground. 1766 [C. Anstey] Bath Guide xi. 156 Shewing them how..to make a good Bow. 1769 Junius Lett. xxxv. 164 She received him..with bows, and smiles. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i. vi, She returned Tito's bow. |
| 1791 Dk. Leeds Polit. Mem. (1884) 156 In which case I should think myself obliged to make my bow. 1875 J. Thomson Life W. Thomson ix. 133 The old farmer..is making his bow—passing off the stage never again to return. |
¶ Cf. also phrases under
bow n.1 4 d.
▪ III. bow, n.3 Naut. (
baʊ)
Also 7
bowe, 8
bough.
[Recorded only since 1600. Corresp. in form and sense to LG. bûg, Du. boeg, Da. boug, bov, Sw. bog, all with senses ‘shoulder of man or beast’, and ‘bow of a ship’. The older Teut. forms were ON. bóg-r, OHG. buog (MHG. buoc), MDu. boech ‘shoulder of man or beast’, OE. bóᵹ, bóh ‘shoulder, upper arm’, and ‘bough of a tree’:—OTeut. *bôgu-z. corresp. to Gr. πᾶχυς, πῆχυς, and Skr. bāhu-s ‘arm’. Bow is thus in origin the same word as bough, but while the latter has come down direct from OE. in one of the OE. senses, bow has been adopted at a later time from LG., Du., or Da., in the special sense of the ‘shoulders’ of a boat or ship, developed in the maritime speech of one or other of these, but not known to OE. or ME. Bough and bow have thus widely diverged, the earlier meaning of ‘shoulder, arm’, not being retained by either. (Not related to bow n.1, nor to bow v.1, though probably now associated with the latter in the popular etymological consciousness, as appears from most attempts to explain it.)] 1. a. ‘The fore-end of a ship or boat; being the rounding part of a vessel forward, beginning on both sides where the planks arch inwards, and terminating where they close, at the rabbet of the stem or prow, being larboard or starboard from that division’. Smyth
Sailor's Word-bk. Also in
pl. ‘bows’,
i.e. the ‘shoulders’ of a boat.
| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 11 The bend, the bowe, the hawse. 1627 ― Seaman's Gram. ii. 10 The Bow is the broadest part of the Ship before, compassing the Stem to the Loufe. 1703 Lond. Gaz. No. 3923/3 She had cut her Anchors from the Bow. 1727 A. Hamilton New Acc. E. Ind. II. l. 220 The Sea..broke over the Ship, carrying away..two Anchors from the lee Bough. 1772–84 Cook Voy. (1790) I. 166 At day-break [we] observed the others [rocks] under our bows. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth III. 81 A number of boats..having their several pipers in the bow. 1840 R. Dana Bef. Mast x. 24 Baggage, which we put into the bows of the boat. 1833 M. Scott Tom Cringle ii. 44 We saw a large West Indiaman suddenly..stand across our Bows. 1882 Daily Tel. 12 Sept. 2/2 The sea washes noisily against the weather bow. |
b. An object is said to be
on the bow when within 45° of the point right ahead.
| 1626 Capt. Smith Accid. Yng. Seamen 18 He stands right a-head; or on the weather bow, or ley bow. 1762–9 Falconer Shipwr. iii. 124 Cliffs they view Faintly along the larboard bow descried. 1883 Law Times Rep. XLIX. 332/1 A steamer..bearing about three or four points on the starboard bow of the Clan Sinclair. |
c. attrib.| 1875 Bedford Sailor's Pocket Bk. i. (ed. 2) 22 A Column is said to be in Two Bow Lines when the ships are ranged on each bow of a single ship. |
d. bow(s on, with the bow of the vessel turned towards the object considered or in view.
| [1856 T. Williams Fiji & Fijians I. vi. 205 The commander ordered it to be run with its bows on the shore.] 1877 Design & Work 218/2 To hit a craft coming bows on. 1893 Kipling Many Invent. 104 A galley coming up bow-on. 1903 Westm. Gaz. 15 June 3/1 The ‘standard type’ has equal offensive strength in all directions—whether bows-on or broadside. 1967 Jane's Surface Skimmer Systems 1967–68 49 The flat bottom hull..permits the craft to run bow-on to any flat, sloping bank to embark passengers. |
2. transf. The rower nearest to the bow. (
colloq.)
| 1830 Marryat King's Own xxxii, In bow forward!—way enough. 1860 Hughes Tom Brown Oxford xxxiii, The last man whom Tom would have chosen as bow in a pair oar. |
3. Comb., as
bow-anchor,
bow-port,
bow-sheet,
bow-side,
bow-timber;
† bow-chase,
bow-chaser (see
quots.);
bow-fast, a hawser at the bow to secure a vessel to a wharf (see
fast);
bow-grace,
bow-grease, ‘a kind of frame or fender of old junk placed round the bows and sides of a ship to prevent her receiving injury from floating ice or timbers’ (Smyth
Sailor's Word-bk.); (also called
bongrace, and in some way connected with that word);
bow-oar, the oar nearest the bow;
transf. the man who pulls this oar; also, in a whale-boat, the foremost oar but one;
bow-pieces, ‘the ordnance in the bows’ (Smyth
Sailor's Word-bk.);
bow-wave, (
a)
Naut. the wave set up at the bows of a ship under way; (
b)
transf. a shock wave produced in front of a body passing through the air. See also
bowline,
bowman2,
bowsprit.
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. vii. 29 The first, second, and third Anchor..are called *Bow Anchors. 1871 Tyndall Fragm. Sc. vi. (ed. 6) I. 205 Both port and bow anchors were cast in deep waters. |
| 1769 Falconer Dict. Marine (1789) *Bow Chace, a cannon..in the fore-part of a ship to fire upon any object a-head of her. |
| 1836 Marryat Midsh. Easy xvii, Firing only her *bow-chasers. c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 106 The former [ports] are made for the purpose of firing upon an enemy ahead, and are called bow-chasers. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Bow-chasers, two long chase-guns placed forward in the bow-ports to fire directly ahead. |
| 1822 Western M. Rev. III. 354 His *bow-fast (a grape vine) parted, and his frail bark put to sea without a pilot. 1913 Masefield Daffodil Fields 30 The bowfast was cast off, the screw revolved. |
| 1851 Melville Moby Dick II. xxx. 205 Being the savage's bowsman—that is, the person who pulled the *bow-oar in his boat (the second one from forward). 1867 Harper's Mag. Oct. 655/1 That man, the smallest of the lot, is the ‘Bow Oar’. |
| 1627 Capt. Smith Seaman's Gram. xiii. 60 Begin with your *bow peeces. |
| 1829 Marryat F. Mildmay iii, I was looking out of the *bow-port. |
| 1837 ― Dog-Fiend xxii, The men had thrown their pea jackets under the *bow-sheets. |
| 1885 Where Chineses Drive 5 The oarsman on the *bow-side strokes. |
| 1877 W. H. White Man. Naval Archit. 450 The position of the crest of the last wave in the train of waves that follow the *bow wave..exercises a very sensible effect on the resistance. 1949 S. P. Llewellyn Troopships 32 Porpoises..leaping and plunging in the bow-wave. 1959 J. L. Nayler Dict. Aeronaut. Engin. 238 For a sharp nosed wedge of semi-angle θ at zero incidence with the bow wave attached. 1962 Listener 1 Mar. 370/1 It was most probably the supersonic bow wave from a large meteorite falling through the atmosphere. |
▪ IV. † bow, n.4 north. dial. Obs. (
buː)
Also 4–
bu.
[a. ON. b{uacu} farming, a farm, farm stock, stock of cattle on a farm, corresp. to OE., OS. bû dwelling, habitation, OHG. bû dwelling, culture, tillage, building (MHG. bû, bou, mod.G. bau, Du. bouw tillage, building):—OTeut. *bôwo-m, f. bū̆- L. ‘colĕre’. Only ON. had the sense ‘live-stock, cattle’, whence the north. Eng. and Sc. word.] 1. The stock of cattle on a farm, a herd.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 6744 Qua stelis scep, or ox, or cu, To sla or sell of oþer bu, Oxen fiue for an he pai. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. i. 86 Sevin ȝoung stottis that ȝok buir nevir nane, Brocht from the bow [grege]. Ibid. vii. ix. 139 Fyve bowis of ky [armenta]. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) I. 58 For his reward that tyme to haif ane kow, Quhair he thocht best out of the kingis bow. 1568 Bannatyne Poems 145 (Jam.) A flok or two, A bow of ky. [1866 T. Edmondston Shetl. & Orkney Gloss. 14 Bû, a term used in old deeds to denote cattle.] |
2. Comb. bow-house, cattle-house.
| 1861 C. Innes Sk. Early Sc. Hist. iii. 375 The bow-house (cattle-house) was rated at so much ‘kain’ or produce, in butter and cheese. |
▪ V. † bow, bowe, n.5 Sc. Obs. [prob. (buː) from an earlier
bulle or
boule (papal) bull (
cf. fow,
fou' = full;
pow,
pou' = pull,
pool, etc.): for sense
cf. F. ‘
bulles provisions d'un bénéfice; les bulles d'un évêché, d'une abbaye’ (Littré). See
bull n.2]
The provisions of a benefice granted by the Pope.
| 1513–75 Diurn. Occurr. (1833) 28 To waill all the bowis of the benefices. 1529 Lyndesay Complaynt 223 Be his Bowis war weill cumit hame, To mak seruyce he wald thynk schame. 1535 ― Satyre 3401 My Lords, how haue ȝe keipit ȝour thrie vows? Indeid, richt weill, till I gat hame my bows. 1566 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 274 Maister Johne Gray..past to Rome for expeditioun of the bowes of Ross to Maister Henry Sinclare. |
▪ VI. bow, v.1 (
baʊ)
Pa. tense and
pple. bowed (
baʊd). Forms:
inf. 1
b{uacu}ᵹan, 2–3
buȝe(n, 3
bouȝe(n,
buwe(n,
buen,
bouwe,
buch, 4
boowe(n,
boȝ(e,
boghe,
bu(e,
bou(e,
bugh,
bouh,
buu, 4–5
bogh, 4–7
bowe, 5
bow-in,
-yn, 6
bough, 6–8
boow, 4–
bow.
Strong pa. tense 1
béaᵹ,
béah (
pl. buᵹon), 2–3
beh (
pl. buȝen), 3
bæh,
bah,
beoh,
beih,
bieh, (
pl. bæhȝen,
buȝeȝen,
buhȝen,
biȝen,
bowen), 4
beiȝ,
beȝgh,
bey(ȝ,
bugh, (
pl. boȝen).
Strong pa. pple. 1
boᵹen, 3–4 (
i)boȝen, (
i)buwen, 4
bowe(n.
weak pa. tense 3
boȝede,
bouwed, 4
boȝed,
boghed,
-id,
-ud,
bued,
buud,
boued,
boud,
bowede,
-ide,
-id,
-et, 4–
bowed.
weak pa. pple. 4 (
i)bowed, 4–6
bowid,
-yd,
boude (
Sc. bewchit,
bowit), 4–
bowed.
[Orig. a strong vb.: OE. b{uacu}ᵹan (pa. tense béah, buᵹon, pple. boᵹen), corresp. to OS. *bûgan, (MDu. bûghen, MLG. bûgen, Du. buigen); also with different vowel in the present stem, OHG. biogan (MHG. and mod.G. biegen), ON. *bj{uacu}ga (pa. tense pl. bugum, pple. boginn), Goth. biugan (pa. tense baug, bugum, pple. bugans):—OTeut. stem *beug- f. root bug-, apparently identical with Skr. bhuj- to bow, bend, L. fugere, Gr. ϕέυγ-ειν to flee; although the expected Teut. form corresponding to these would be buk-. The causal of this was OTeut. baugjan, OE. b{iacu}eᵹan, b{yacu}ᵹan, weak verb: see bey v. In early ME. there was some confusion of forms in writing, due to the ambiguous use of u for both OE. {uacu}, and Fr. u = ü, OE. y. As early as the 13th c. bow began to usurp the sense of bey, which became obs. in the 14th c.; and coincidently with this extension of sense, bow began to take a weak pa. tense and pa. pple. (This is one of several
vbs. in which the
LG. langs. (
OE.,
OFris.,
OS., Nether-Frankish) have
û against the
iu of Gothic,
ON. j{uacu},
OHG. io.)]
I. Intransitive uses. (Rarely
trans. by ellipsis.) In the literal senses 1–4 superseded by
bend.
† 1. To assume a bent or crooked shape, position, or attitude; to bend.
Obs. exc. dial.| a 1000 Holy Rood 36 (Gr.) Þær ic þa ne dorste..buᵹan oððe berstan. a 1300 Cursor M. 11683 Bogh þou til vs..þou tre. c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 186 Hir daunger made him..bowe and beende. c 1430 Hymns Virg. (1867) 73 My backe bowiþ, myn iȝen ben soore. 1526 Tindale Phil. ii. 10 That in the name of Jesus shuld every knee bowe. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 152 Better boowe then breake. 1603 Shakes. Meas. for M. iii. i. 26 Like an Asse, whose backe with Ingots bowes. 1618 Bp. Hall Serm. v. 110 Let the smith strike a bar..though it be iron, it bows. 1677 Moxon Mech. Exerc. (1703) 14 When you chuse Iron, chuse such as bows oftenest before it break. Mod. Sc. A pin bows more easily than a needle. |
† 2. To turn; to turn aside, off, or away; to turn back, retreat; to swerve, decline. Also
fig. Obs.| a 1000 ælfric Man. Astron. in Pop. Treat. Sc. 10 Heo næfre ne byhð ne ufor ne nyðor. ― Ex. xxxii. 8 Hiᵹ buᵹon raðe of þam wæᵹe. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 117 Buh from uuele and do god. a 1300 Cursor M. 19379 Þai..neuer..ne buud fra cristen trouth. 1382 Wyclif Baruch iv. 12 Thei bowiden awei fro the lawe of God. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Pref. 9 Boughed neyther to the ryghte hande ne to the lefte. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Decliner, to decline, to bowe from. |
† b. (in wider sense) To bend one's course, turn or direct one's steps, wend one's way, make one's way, go, betake oneself. (Sometimes, with appropriate context,
= flee.)
Obs.| a 1000 ælfric Ex. xxi. 13 Ic ᵹesette him hwæder he buᵹan sceal. c 1205 Lay. 5559 Heo iseiȝen Brennes buȝe [c 1275 comen] heom to-ȝennes. Ibid. 14273 Forð he gon buȝen [c 1275 wende]. c 1275 Ibid. 9351 Hamund to þane wode fleh and touward þe see he bieh. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 973 Bow vp to-warde þys bornez heued. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 141 Henry in Inglond wonnes..& wille not bouh. 1382 Wyclif John v. 13 Ihesu bowide him fro the cumpany. c 1400 Destr. Troy 9490 Þen fled all in fere, and the fild leuit, Bowet to þere bastels with bale at þere herttes. |
† c. to bow in: to turn in, enter.
Obs.| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 5 Þis cumfort bowiþ into myn herte. Ibid. 7 If clensid it [þe soule] kepiþ clene, bowynge þerenne abundantly grace of parfiȝt knowynge of virtues. |
† 3. To have a curved direction, to lie or proceed in a curve; to curve, to be deflected.
Obs.| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §9 Nilus seo ea..west irnende..and þonan norþ buᵹende ut on þone Wendelsæ. 1388 Wyclif Isa. lix. 8 The pathis of hem ben bowid to hem. 1530 Palsgr. 461 The toppe of Charyng crosse hath bowed downwardes [se est decliné] many a daye. 1535 Coverdale Numb. xxiii. 28 The toppe of mount Peor y{supt} Boweth towarde the wyldernesse. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 118 The very coasts of this streight Bosphorus..boweth and windeth like a curb to Mæotis. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 316 Another hot sharp Iron like a Bodkin, somewhat bowing at the point. 1756 M. Calderwood Jrnl. in Athenæum No. 2984. 10/2 The ridge of the boat, which bows like an arch. |
† b. fig. To have an inclination; to tend.
Obs.| 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 108 b, Peares ar temperat, in a mean betwene heat and cold, or they bow a litle to coldnes. |
† 4. To stoop or lower the head and upper part of the body,
esp. in condescension.
Obs. (or
arch.)
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 121 Ure drihten..beih of heuene to mannen. a 1240 Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 211 Heie helinde, beih þe to me, and buh to mine bonen. c 1300 in Wright Lyric P. xxv. 70 Thin heved doun boweth to suete cussinge. 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) C vij b, It is necessarie..to remount to very high thinges, leste it bowe vnto lowe and yl thinges. 1842 Tennyson Dora 101 She bow'd upon her hands..She bow'd down And wept in secret. |
5. To bend the neck under a yoke;
hence, to become a thrall or subject; to submit, yield, render obedience
to.
| Beowulf 2918 Se byrn-wiᵹa buᵹan sceolde. a 1000 O.E. Chron. an. 913 Him beaᵹ god dæl þæs folces to. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 91 Þa underfengen heo his lare and buȝen to fulehte. a 1240 Lofsong in Cott. Hom. 205 Ich habbe ofte ibuwen to alle mine þreo i-fon. a 1300 Cursor M. 14496 All þis werld til him sal buu. a 1340 Hampole Psalter lxxx[i]. 11 My folke boghed noght til my worde. c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 440 On of us tuo mot bowe douteles. 1531 Elyot Gov. (1580) 174 A man should not bowe for any Fortune or trouble of minde. 1682 Dryden Satyr to Muse 149 Under Iron Yokes make Indians Bow. 1808 J. Barlow Columb. iii. 436 They bow in silence to the victor's chains. 1862 Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. xviii. 344 He at last bows to the inevitable course of events. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xvii. 57 Winchester..bowed to William some while before his coronation. |
† b. (Also construed with a dative appearing afterwards as a simple
obj.): To obey.
Obs.| c 1205 Lay. 7295 Ȝif heo me wulleð buȝen [c 1275 bouwe]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 198 Þet child þet ne buhð nout his eldre. 1375 Barbour Bruce ix. 753 Till at thou knaw The richt, and bow it as thou aw. c 1400 Destr. Troy 507 Tho obeit the bolde, and bowet hir fader. |
6. To bend the body, knee, or head, in token of reverence, respect, or submission; to make obeisance. (Emphasized by
down:
const. to,
before.)
| a 1000 ælfric Numb. xxv. 2 [Israhela bearn] to þam hæþenᵹilde buᵹon. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 199 Buȝe we to þe stone. c 1205 Lay. 22482 Swa he on his cneowen bæh. a 1240 Orison in Cott. Hom. 191 To þe ich buwe and mine kneon ich beie. a 1300 Cursor M. 11629 (Gött.) title, Hou þe tre boued to saint mari. 1593 Hooker Eccl. Pol. i. viii. § 11 Shall I bow to the stock of a tree? 1611 Bible Esther iii. 5 Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reuerence [Wyclif, bowid not kne; Coverdale, bowed not the knee]. 1611 ― Ps. xcv. 6 O come, let vs worship and bowe downe [Coverd. ourselues]: let vs kneele before the Lord our maker. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 111 To bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. III. xlix. 114 An hundred princes bowed before his throne. 1871 Morley Rousseau (1873) II. 267 That which asks us to bow down and worship God as a ‘stream of tendency’. |
7. To incline the body or head (
to a person) in salutation, acknowledgement of courtesy, polite assent, etc.; to make or give a bow.
| 1651 Proc. Parliament No. 93. 1428 Then he bowed to the Court and Councel. 1698 Dryden Virg. æneid ii. 186 With graceful action bowing thus began. 1709 Steele & Add. Tatler No. 81 ¶4 He bowed to Homer, and sat down by him. 1837 Dickens Pickw. ii, ‘My friend, sir, Mr. Snodgrass’, said Mr. Winkle..Doctor Slammer's friend bowed. 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 150 He smiled, bowed, and extended his hand graciously to the lips of the colonels and majors. Mod. Her Majesty acknowledged the cheers by bowing graciously as she drove along. He bowed to her as usual, but she looked straight before her, and passed on. |
b. trans. To express by bowing.
| 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. iii. 3 All which time, before the Gods my knee shall bow my prayers to them for you. 1821 Keats Isabel xxiv, Lorenzo..Bow'd a fair greeting. 1884 Punch 20 Dec. 294/2 Mr. Punch bows his acknowledgments to ‘Good Words’. Mod. Mr. B― bowed his assent. |
c. To usher
in or
out with a bow, or bows; so
to bow (any one) up or down (
stairs,
etc.).
| 1819 Crabbe T. of Hall iii. 60 Argue he could not, but in case of doubt, Or disputation, fairly bow'd it out. 1833 H. Martineau Briery Creek ii. 31 Returning from bowing out Dr. Sneyd with much civility. 1851 Thackeray Eng. Hum. iii. (1858) 114 He and his chamberlains bow her up the great stair to the state apartments. |
d. intr. to bow out: in
fig. use, to retire (gracefully); to retreat or withdraw; to resign.
colloq. (
orig. U.S.).
| 1942 Berrey & Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §213/4 Retract; withdraw; ‘back out’,..bow out. 1943 L. Browne See what I Mean xvi. 109. It was a case of bow down or bow out. 1959 Times 19 Mar. 18/3 Yesterday Norwich fully deserved to win, yet had to bow out and are left behind in the shadows. a 1975 Wodehouse Sunset at Blandings (1977) ii. 22 When I found that his club was the Athenaeum, crawling..with bishops and no hope of anyone throwing bread at anyone, I bowed out. 1985 Times 2 July 1/5 (caption) Virginia Wade bowing out of the singles in her last Wimbledon. |
II. 8. Reflexive uses. The pronoun was perhaps originally dative, but was at length treated as a simple object, as in III.
Obs. or
arch. a. in sense 1.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 266 Buh þe, he seið, aduneward..Þeo buhð hire, þet to his fondunde beieð hire heorte. a 1300 Cursor M. 11683 (Gött.) Boue þe till vs..þu tre. c 1300 in Wright Lyric P. xvi. 54 Hire loue..beh him to me over bord. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 335 He bowethe hym down & ȝeldethe vp þe lyfe. 1611 Bible Eccles. xii. 3 When..the strong men shall bowe themselues. |
b. in sense 2.
| c 1205 Lay. 7499 Beiene þa eorles buȝen heom [c 1275 wende] togaderes. 1382 Wyclif John v. 13 Ihesu bowide him fro the cumpany. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 265 An holy abbot was þer-by & he hym þeder bowethe. |
c. in sense 5.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 19132 Bot mani turnd þar and..To baptim tak þam-seluen buud. Ibid. 19529 Þe folk was in þat tun to þe baptiszing þam buud. |
d. in sense 6.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8961 Dun sco bugh hir to þe grund [v.r. bowid hir]. Ibid. 10902 To goddes sande scho gan hir bow [Cott. bu]. 1535 Coverdale Dan. ii. 46 [He] fell downe vpon his face, and bowed him self vnto Daniel. 1611 Bible Ex. xx. 5 Thou shalt not bow downe thy selfe to them. |
e. in sense 7.
| a 1626 Bacon New Atl. 11 He bowed himself a little to us. Ibid. 15 At which speech we all rose up and bowed our selves. |
III. Causative uses, in which
bow has taken the place of the
obs. causal
bey.
9. trans. To cause (a thing) to bend; to force or bring into a curved or angular shape; to inflect, curve, crook.
arch. and
dial. (as in
Sc.).
| a 1300 K. Horn 427 Armes heo gan buȝe, Adun he feol iswoȝe. 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) 164 Take a graff and bowe it in bothe endes. 1598 J. Dickenson Greene in Conc. (1878) 133 Tender twigges may with ease be bowed. 1600 Holland Livy xxi. lviii. 427 They could hardly bend and bow their joints. 1613 Shakes. Hen. VIII, ii. iii. 36 A threepence bow'd would hire me. 1626 Bacon Sylva §426 Take a low Tree, and bow it. 1680 Baxter Answ. Stillingfl. Pref. A iij b, Iron is too stiff for me to bow. 1875 Darwin Insectiv. Pl. viii. 194 The tentacles after a time being bowed backwards. |
† b. fig. Obs.| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 14 God forbid..That you should fashion, wrest, or bow your reading..With opening Titles miscreate. 1662 Fuller Worthies (1840) III. 289 Latin words are bowed in their modern senses. 1678 Butler Hud., Lady's Answ. 156 Marriage, at best, is but a Vow: Which all Men either break, or bow. |
c. esp. to bow the knee:
i.e. to bend it in adoration or reverence.
| 1382 Wyclif Phil. ii. 10 That in the name of Ihesu ech kne be bowid. ― 1 Kings xix. 18 Seuen thousand of men of whom the knees ben not bowid before Baal. 1580 Baret Alv. B 1067 To make courtesie or to bowe the knee. 1875 B. Taylor Faust II. ii. iii. 142 To Ops and Rhea have I bowed the knee. |
† 10. To cause to turn in a given direction; to incline, turn, direct;
fig. to incline or influence (the mind).
Obs.| a 1300 Cursor M. 17588 His blissing to þaa men he buus. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 422 As þof þei wolde bowe him [God] as maysters of his conseile. c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. i. 7 He or sche ouȝte bowe awey her heering, her reeding and her vndirstonding. 1513 Douglas æneis xiii. vi. 106 All our prayeris and requestis kynd Mycht nowder bow that dowr mannis mynd. 1651 Hewson Let. in Proc. Parliament No. 92. 1413 The Lord God hath abundantly bowed their hearts and affections..to the Parliament. 1705 Penn in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem. X. 17 You may..bow him to better manners and gain him. |
¶ In
to bow the ear,
bow the eye, there appears to be a mixture of the notion of ‘direct or turn with attention’, and of ‘bend the head downwards’. See senses 10 and 11.
| c 1230 Hali Meid. 3 Bihald & buh þin eare. 1535 Coverdale Ps. xxx[i]. 2 Bowe downe thine eare to me, make haist to delyuer me. 1578 Gude & Godlie Ballates, Lament. Sinner i, Bowing doun Thy heavenly eye. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Jan. 16 Bowe your eares vnto my dolefull dittie. 1611 Bible Ps. lxxxvi. 1 Bow downe thine eare, O Lord, heare me. |
11. To bend (anything) downwards; to incline, to lower (often in
fig. expressions).
| c 1205 Lay. 15740 Þe nunne beh hire hæfde adun. [a 1225 Ancr. R. 130 Ase brid vleoinde buhð þet heaued lowe (perh. this = byhð, from bey v.).] a 1300 Cursor M. 11690 Yeit it [þe tre] boghud dun ilk bogh. 1382 Wyclif Isa. xxxi. 3 The Lord shal boowen [1388 bowe doun] his hond. 1601 Shakes. All's Well i. ii. 43 And bow'd his eminent top to their low rankes. 1747 Hervey Medit. & Contempl. (1818) 192 Wave, ye stately Cedars..wave your branching heads to Him who meekly bowed his own on the accursed tree. 1842 Tennyson Dora 103 She bowed down her head, Remembering the day when first she came. 1871 Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xvii. 95 Lanfranc refused to bow his shoulders to such a burden. |
b. fig. To bend (a thing) in submission.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 15291 Þis suete iesu..þat bued sua his lauerd-hede to buxumnes of therll. c 1440 Hylton Scala Perf. (1494) ii. xvi, Yf he woll bowe his wyll to God. |
12. To cause to stoop, to crush (as a load does).
| 1671 Milton Samson 698 With sickness and disease thou bow'st them down. 1725 Pope Odyss. xi. 239 And bow his age with sorrow to the tomb. 1738 Wesley Psalms (1765) lvii, To Thee let all my Foes submit, Who hunt and bow my Spirit down. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 97 The load which had bowed down his body and mind. |
▪ VII. bow, v.2 (
bəʊ)
[f. bow n.1 6.] trans. and intr. To play with or use the bow (on a violin, etc.).
| 1838 W. Gardiner Music Nat. 202 A single bar of music..may be bowed fifty-four different ways. 1861 Times 16 Oct., His artists and amateurs bow and finger in thoroughly good style. 1864 G. Meredith Emilia xxv. 194 How differently he bows from the other men, though it is only dance music. |
▪ VIII. bow, v.3 Naut. (
baʊ)
[f. bow n.3] trans. Of a ship: To cut (the water) with the bow.
| 1858 Merc. Mar. Mag. V. 199 Sea very turbulent..ship bowing it admirably. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Bowing the sea, meeting a turbulent swell in coming to the wind. |
▪ IX. bow, bowe obs. forms of
boll2,
bough.