English Dictionary: bowing | by the DICT Development Group |
5 results for bowing | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Bow \Bow\ (bou), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bowing}.] [OE. bowen, bogen, bugen, AS. b[d4]gan (generally v. i.); akin to D. buigen, OHG. biogan, G. biegen, beugen, Icel. boginn bent, beygja to bend, Sw. b[94]ja, Dan. b[94]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. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Bow \Bow\ (b[d3]), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Bowed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bowing}.] To play (music) with a bow. -- v. i. To manage the bow. | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Bowing \Bow"ing\, n. (Mus.) 1. The act or art of managing the bow in playing on stringed instruments. Bowing constitutes a principal part of the art of the violinist, the violist, etc. --J. W. Moore. 2. In hatmaking, the act or process of separating and distributing the fur or hair by means of a bow, to prepare it for felting. | |
From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]: | |
Bowing a mode of showing respect. Abraham "bowed himself to the people of the land" (Gen. 23:7); so Jacob to Esau (Gen. 33:3); and the brethren of Joseph before him as the governor of the land (Gen. 43:28). Bowing is also frequently mentioned as an act of adoration to idols (Josh. 23:7; 2 Kings 5:18; Judg. 2:19; Isa. 44:15), and to God (Josh. 5:14; Ps. 22:29; 72:9; Micah 6:6; Ps. 95:6; Eph. 3:14). |