Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The operation of separating and arranging as desired the filaments of some fibrous material, as hatters' fur or (in Eastern countries) cotton, by vibrating a bow-string upon it.
  • noun In music: The general method of using the bow in playing upon an instrument of the violin family.
  • noun The method by which the notes of a given passage are distributed between up- and down-strokes of the bow.
  • noun A lease of the dairy stock on a farm. See bower.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Mus.) The act or art of managing the bow in playing on stringed instruments.
  • noun 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 Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb Present participle of bow. (bend)
  • noun The act of bending at the waist, as a sign of respect or greeting.
  • noun A bending.
  • noun A technique for bowing a musical instrument, such as a violin.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument
  • noun bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
  • adjective showing an excessively deferential manner

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But what you call bowing and scraping is the outer sign of discipline, and its absence means the absence of discipline.

    Archive 2009-03-01 Eric Dickens 2009

  • They have become almost as bad as MSNBC in bowing to the left wing of the democratic party.

    John King to replace Lou Dobbs 2009

  • Before you clowns start saying that bowing is okay, name me one U. S President that has bowed to anyone.

    First on the Ticker: DNC begins ad campaign against GOP 2009

  • Fourth, the President talks about transparency, but in bowing his head before right-wing members of the press who bring up the election results, he says nothing about the elections themselves and how bizarrely distorted they were by secret corporate spending enabled by a radically partisan Supreme Court.

    Bob Jacobson: The President Is Dispiriting Bob Jacobson 2010

  • I am wondering if all of that bowing is going to disturb all of the botox Pelosi has floating around in her face.

    The etiquette of bowing « Dating Jesus 2009

  • I have $1 on Palin bowing out to spend more time with her family (shotgun wedding for her high school dropout daughter ya know) ... then Romney is moved in as the financial steady hand ... announcement by Oct 15 18

    tingilinde: 2008

  • I have $1 on Palin bowing out to spend more time with her family (shotgun wedding for her high school dropout daughter ya know) ... then Romney is moved in as the financial steady hand ... announcement by Oct 15 18

    my bet on mccain's next hail mary 2008

  • But politics being politics ........ the meak will lower their heads in bowing to the DNC.

    Sources: Most uncommitted senators to endorse Obama 2008

  • But politics being politics ........ the meak will lower their heads in bowing to the DNC.

    Sources: Most uncommitted senators to endorse Obama 2008

  • At the time, Gatewood Baptist Church was a ragged, tumbling wood frame structure with tilted steeple, sinking foundations, and loose planks bowing from the ceilingor in real estate jargon, a bona fide “fixer upper.”

    The Reverend (copy) ____Maggie 2006

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