Definition

/bəʊ/

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.
A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
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.

verb

To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
“The musician bowed his violin expertly.”
To become bent or curved.
“The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.”
To make something bend or curve.
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
To premiere.
“Cronenberg’s "Cosmopolis" bows in Cannes this week.”