To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; to crush; to subdue.
To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
To bend; to curve.
To stop.
To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; - often with down.
To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
To play (music) with a bow.
An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
An arcograph.
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
The black tern.
The helm or tiller of a vessel or boat; also, the rudder.
The after or rear end of a ship or other vessel, or of a boat; the part opposite to the stem, or prow.
Fig.: The post of management or direction.
The hinder part of anything.
The tail of an animal; - now used only of the tail of a dog.
Having a certain hardness or severity of nature, manner, or aspect; hard; severe; rigid; rigorous; austere; fixed; unchanging; unrelenting; hence, serious; resolute; harsh; as, a sternresolve; a stern necessity; a stern heart; a stern gaze; a stern decree.
Being in the stern, or being astern; as, the stern davits.
