A Quick and Simple Dictionary

bow

1. Noun.  A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
2. Noun.  A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see ''oxbow'').
3. Noun.  A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
4. Noun.  A stringed instrument, similar to the item described above.
5. Noun.  A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.
6. Verb.  To play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow.
7. Verb.  (intransitive) To become bent or curved.
8. Verb.  (transitive) To make something bend or curve.
9. Noun.  A gesture, usually showing respect, made by bending forward at the waist.
10. Noun.  A debut.
11. Verb.  (intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
12. Verb.  (transitive, and) To debut.
13. Verb.  (intransitive) To defer (to something).
14. Noun.  (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.