1. [n]  a stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
2. [n]  a slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument
3. [n]  curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows
4. [n]  front part of a vessel or aircraft; "he pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line"
5. [n]  a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
6. [n]  a decorative interlacing of ribbons
7. [n]  an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
8. [n]  bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
9. [n]  something curved in shape
10. [v]  submit or yield to another's wish or opinion; "The government bowed to the military pressure"
11. [v]  bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head; "He bowed before the King"; "She bowed her head in shame"
12. [v]  play on a string instrument
13. [v]  bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting; "He bowed before the King"
14. [v]  bend one's back forward from the waist on down; "he crouched down"; "She bowed before the Queen"; "The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse"

1. \Bow\ (bou), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bowing}.] [OE. bowen, bogen, bugen, AS. b[=u]gan (generally
   v. i.); akin to D. buigen, OHG. biogan, G. biegen, beugen,
   Icel. boginn bent, beygja to bend, Sw. b["o]ja, Dan. b["o]ie,
   bugne, Coth. biugan; also to L. fugere to flee, Gr. ?, and
   Skr. bhuj to bend. [root]88. Cf. {Fugitive}.]
   1. To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to
      inflect; to make crooked or curved.
            We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to
            their natural straightness.           --Milton.
            The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind
            of tyranny.                           --Prescott.
   2. To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to
      bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
            Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
                                                  --Bacon.
            Not to bow and bias their opinions.   --Fuller.
   3. To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of
      respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
            They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the
            ground before him.                    --2 Kings ii.
                                                  15.
   4. To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,;? to
      crush; to subdue.
            Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
                                                  --Shak.
   5. To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
   

2. \Bow\ (bou), v. i.
   1. To bend; to curve. [Obs.]
   2. To stop. [Archaic]
            They stoop, they bow down together.   --Is. xlvi. 2?
   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.
   

3. \Bow\ (bou), 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.
   

4. \Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [OE. bowe, boge, AS. boga, fr. AS.
   b[=u]gan 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.]
   

5. \Bow\ (b[=o]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Bowing}.]
   To play (music) with a bow. -- v. i. To manage the bow.
   

6. \Bow\ (b[=o]), n. [Icel. b[=o]gr 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[deg] on either side of the line ahead. --Totten.
   

The bow was in use in early times both in war and in the chase (Gen. 21:20; 27:3; 48:22). The tribe of Benjamin were famous for the use of the bow (1 Chr. 8:40; 12:2; 2 Chr. 14:8; 17:17); so also were the Elamites (Isa. 22:6) and the Lydians (Jer. 46:9). The Hebrew word commonly used for bow means properly to tread (1 Chr. 5:18; 8:40), and hence it is concluded that the foot was employed in bending the bow. Bows of steel (correctly "copper") are mentioned (2 Sam. 22:35; Ps. 18:34).

The arrows were carried in a quiver (Gen. 27:3; Isa. 22:6; 49:2; Ps. 127:5). They were apparently sometimes shot with some burning material attached to them (Ps. 120:4).

The bow is a symbol of victory (Ps. 7:12). It denotes also falsehood, deceit (Ps. 64:3, 4; Hos. 7:16; Jer. 9:3).

"The use of the bow" in 2 Sam. 1:18 (A.V.) ought to be "the song of the bow," as in the Revised Version.