BOWING

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does bowing mean? 

• BOWING (noun)
  The noun BOWING has 2 senses:

1. bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting

2. managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument

  Familiarity information: BOWING used as a noun is rare.

• BOWING (adjective)
  The adjective BOWING has 1 sense:

1. showing an excessively deferential manner

  Familiarity information: BOWING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOWING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bow; bowing; obeisance

Hypernyms ("bowing" is a kind of...):

reverence (an act showing respect (especially a bow or curtsy))

gesture; motion (the use of movements (especially of the hands) to communicate familiar or prearranged signals)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bowing"):

genuflection; genuflexion (the act of bending the knees in worship or reverence)

kotow; kowtow (a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission)

scrape; scraping (a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility))

salaam (a deep bow; a Muslim form of salutation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Managing the bow in playing a stringed instrument

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Context example:

the violinist's bowing was excellent

Hypernyms ("bowing" is a kind of...):

playing (the act of playing a musical instrument)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bowing"):

spiccato; spiccato bowing (bowing in such a way that the bow bounces lightly off the strings)

• BOWING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Showing an excessively deferential manner

Synonyms:

bowed; bowing

Similar:

submissive (inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination)

 Context examples 

“Thank you, Miss Cushing,” said Holmes, rising and bowing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“I am afraid that it will take wiser heads than yours or mine,” he remarked, and bowing in a stately, old-fashioned manner he departed.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"This is the second time you have called us," said the Monkey King, bowing before the little girl.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

Could I enter into a festival with this deadly weight yet hanging round my neck and bowing me to the ground?

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

While Wolf Larsen held his wrist he stirred uneasily, bowing his body so that for a moment it rested on shoulders and heels.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Bowing with the air of one accustomed to public praise, he stole to the cavern and ordered Hagar to come forth with a commanding, "What ho, minion! I need thee!"

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Her love made no answer; and after slightly bowing to the ladies, began complaining of the weather.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

I found myself mechanically bowing and shaking hands with a little ginger-haired man who was coiled up in the deep arm-chair which had once been sacred to my own use.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Well, sir,” he said, bowing and chuckling, and tucking in the ends of his neckerchief at his breast: “I thankee, sir, I thankee! I do my endeavours in my line of life, sir.”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

A genetic congenital disorder characterized by bowing and angulation of the long bones.

(Campomelic Dysplasia, NCI Thesaurus)