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bow 3 (bō)
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n.
1. A bent, curved, or arched object.
2. A weapon consisting of a curved, flexible strip of material, especially wood, strung taut from end to end and used to launch arrows.
3.
a. An archer.
b. Archers considered as a group.
4.
a. Music A rod having horsehair drawn tightly between its two raised ends, used in playing instruments of the violin and viol families.
b. A stroke made by this rod.
5. A knot usually having two loops and two ends; a bowknot.
6.
a. A frame for the lenses of a pair of eyeglasses.
b. The part of such a frame passing over the ear.
7. A rainbow.
8. An oxbow.
v. bowed, bow·ing, bows
v.tr.
1. To bend (something) into the shape of a bow.
2. Music To play (a stringed instrument) with a bow.
v.intr.
1. To bend into a curve or bow.
2. Music To play a stringed instrument with a bow.
[Middle English bowe, from Old English boga; see bheug- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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