bowing

3 definitions • 6 examples

present participle of

to bend your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks to people who have watched you perform:

bow to They bowed to the Queen.

bow your head We bowed our heads in prayer.

He stood at the back, head bowed in silent contemplation.

bow down He bowed down before (= in front of) the king and begged for mercy.

to play an instrument that has strings, using a long, thin piece of wood with hair from the tail of a horse stretched along it:

I'm not bowing, but using my fingers pizzicato.

You can achieve a completely different tone by bowing the strings nearer to the bridge.