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bow3

Syllabification: (bow)
Pronunciation: /bou/

(also bows)
Translate bow | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of bow

noun

  • the front end of a ship:water sprayed high over her bows stand in the bow

Phrases

on the bow

Nautical within 45° of the point directly ahead.

a (warning) shot across the bows

a statement or gesture intended to frighten someone into changing their course of action:supporters are firing a warning shot across the President’s bows

Origin:

late Middle English: from Low German boog, Dutch boeg 'shoulder or ship's bow'; related to bough

Do not confuse bow with bough. See bough.

bow in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bow in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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