Agency Dictionary
bow
nounPronunciation: /baʊ/
In Portuguese: proa
History & CivilizationsWhat does “bow” mean?
The front end of a ship or boat, the part that cuts through the water first.
Etymology
Probably borrowed in late Middle English from Middle Low German boog or Middle Dutch boech, or from Old Norse bogr, all meaning "shoulder" and, by extension, the front of a ship. The native English relative is bough, from Old English bog, "shoulder, arm, branch". The word is not related in origin to bow, the weapon, or to the verb bow, "to bend", although the three share a spelling.
Usage note
Pronounced to rhyme with now, like the verb bow, and unlike the bow that shoots arrows, which rhymes with go. Sailors often use the plural, the bows, for the same part of the ship.
Synonyms
- prow
- stem
- forepart
- front
Often confused with
- stern
- The bow is the front end of a vessel; the stern is the back end.
Word family
- bowsprit
- bowline
- bough
Rhymes with
- now
- how
- cow
- vow
- brow
- allow
- plow
- wow
Usage examples
"I'm the king of the world!" said Jack Dawson as he opened his arms as if they were wings while standing at the bow of the RMS Titanic.
Writing.1 - The Titanic Theory
Concept
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- shogunatenoun
- A feudal military dictatorship in Japan, headed by a shogun, in which loyalty and honour were central to its operation. The system was exclusive to Japan and did not exist in other Asian nations.
- eppur si muoveother
- An Italian phrase meaning and yet it moves. It is used to affirm that a fact remains true no matter who denies it.
- Paleolithicadjective
- Relating to the Old Stone Age, the earliest and longest period of human prehistory, marked by chipped stone tools and, in its later phase, by the first cave paintings.
- samurainoun
- A member of the warrior class of feudal Japan, bound by codes of loyalty and honour, who served under the shogunate system. In the article, the samurai class is one of the two groups with access to Noh theatre.
- Agoranoun
- A public open space in ancient Greek cities used for assemblies, commercial markets, and philosophical dialogue.
- Alchemistnoun
- A practitioner of alchemy, seeking to transmute base metals into noble elements and discover a universal cure.
- amphitheatrenoun
- An oval or circular open-air venue with tiered seating used in the Roman world for gladiatorial contests, beast hunts, and public executions.
- aqueductnoun
- An engineered conduit or bridge designed to convey water from distant freshwater springs into urban centers using gravity flow.
- baronnoun
- A member of the aristocracy, or an influential magnate exercising commanding power in a specific industry.
- Chitonnoun
- A draped garment or tunic worn by men and women in ancient Greece, usually fastened at the shoulders by brooches.
- Chivalrynoun
- The medieval knightly code of conduct demanding honor, valor, courtesy, loyalty, and Christian devotion.
- cinnamonnoun
- An aromatic spice obtained from the stripped inner bark of several tree species of the genus Cinnamomum.
Also from these editions: terms
- Antithesisnoun
- A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
- paperweightnoun
- A small, heavy object placed on loose sheets of paper to prevent them from scattering or blowing away.
- omissionnoun
- The intentional or accidental act of leaving something out or excluding details from a statement or text.
- Treatisenoun
- A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- aestheticsnoun
- A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
- anesthetizedadjective
- Deprived of physical sensation or feeling, often used figuratively to describe dullness or emotional apathy.
- Authenticitynoun
- The quality of being real, genuine, and true to one's own character or stated origins.
- Catharticadjective
- Providing psychological relief through the open expression and release of strong or repressed emotions.
- helmnoun
- The wheel or tiller by which a ship is steered. Figuratively, the position of control or leadership.
- numbnessnoun
- The state of being unable to feel or react, in the body or, figuratively, in the mind and the will.
- proverbnoun
- A short, pithy saying in frequent and widespread use that expresses a perceived truth or piece of practical advice.
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