Find the word definition

Crossword clues for bowing

The Collaborative International Dictionary
Bowing

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.

Bowing

Bow \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.

Bowing

Bow \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.

Wiktionary
bowing

n. 1 The act of bending at the waist, as a sign of respect or greeting. 2 A bending. 3 A technique for bowing a musical instrument, such as a violin. vb. (present participle of bow English) (''bend'')

WordNet
bowing
  1. adj. showing an excessively deferential manner [syn: bowed]

  2. n. bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame [syn: bow, obeisance]

  3. managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument; "the violinist's bowing was excellent"

Wikipedia
Bowing

Bowing (also called stooping) is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many countries and distinctively in Europe. It is also used in religious contexts, as a form of worship or veneration. Sometimes the gesture may be limited to lowering the head such as in Indonesia, and in many cultures several degrees of the lowness of the bow are distinguished and regarded as appropriate for different circumstances. It is especially prominent in India, Thailand, Laos, China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam where it may be executed standing or kneeling. Some bows are performed equally by two or more people while others are unequal - the person bowed to either does not bow in return or performs a less low bow in response. A nod of the head may be regarded as the minimal form of bow; forms of kneeling, genuflection, or prostration which involves the hands or whole body touching the ground, are the next levels of gesture.

Usage examples of "bowing".

The Epilogue over, Mistress Dubois, Betterton, and the pretty boy who played Amoroso linked hands and were bowing to the audience, which was on its feet again, applauding the actors.

Tavis came back to the East, between Javan and the little table, and put the bowl and aspergillum back under the table, while Joram went before Queron and knelt, bowing his head over his hands on the quillons of the sword before him.

Behind him he could hear Plod and the Basilican soldier also standing and bowing.

A few minutes after, as we were retracing our steps, we came across the same gentleman who, after bowing respectfully to us, took Dubois aside.

Which yoong woman reuerently bowing to the earth with her right knee, reseruing the other still vp, whereuppon shee helde this couer of coorrall, which also besides the flowers, had vppon the pointes and toppes of other twigges or sprouts curiously infixed monstrous great pearle.

The maiden fidgeted, she plucked at the ends of the wimple that lay about her shoulders, she smoothed the rich cyclas of her mantle and finally she arose and bowing before the princess asked if she might go and bid farewell to her mother.

A flock of dotterels bobbing, bowing, skipping, and shouldering one another may be merely practising some evolution with serious intent, though it is far more natural to conclude that the frail little birds are in holiday humour.

In this sort I was houlden in an intrycate minde of doubts, at length ouercome withall kinde of greefes, my whole bodye trembling and languishinge vnder a broade and mightye Oke full of Acornes, standing in the middest of a spatious and large green meade, extending forth his thicke and leauie armes to make a coole shadowe, vnder whose bodye breathing I rested my selfe vppon the deawye hearbes, and lying vppon my left syde I drewe my breath in the freshe ayre more shortly betwixt my drye and wrinckled lips, then the weary running heart, pinched in the haunche and struck in the brest, not able any longer to beare vp his weighty head, or sustaine his body vpon his bowing knees, but dying prostrates himselfe.

They went through a sort of stupid ritual for a while, Duma standing up every few seconds and bowing seven times.

It was thus a very disgusted Princess who made her early exit from the palace between a double line of bowing flunkeys, masking her anger behind an affectation of ultra-Royal dignity.

The wheels of the engine creaked, steam threatened the cars, and they all retreated awkwardly toward the station, Furber bowing briskly.

And all around her the idiots, the fools, taking her picture, practically bowing before her, treating her like goldarn royalty.

I got up, and after bowing to the lady, for whom I had a great esteem, I saluted her husband, who only replied by a slight movement of the head.

And with these words, bowing respectfully to the king, the superintendent made his exit backwards, without honoring with a single look the envious man, whose head he had just half shaved.

He handed her the keys and went jogging up the walk, bobbing and bowing in merry hostship to the occupants of the other units.