Forms: 1 boʓa, 3–4 boȝe, (3 bou), 3–7 bowe, 4 bouwe, boghe (boȝ), 4–5 boowe, 6 boe, (boll), 4– bow. [Com. Teut.: OE. boʓa, corresp. to OFris. boga, OS. bogo (MDu. booghe, Du. boog), OHG. bogo (MHG. boge, mod.G. bogen), ON. bogi (Sw. båge, Da. bue):—OTeut. *bugon-, f. stem bug- of beugan, to bend.]
I. 1. gen. A thing bent or fashioned so as to form part of the circumference of a circle or other curve; a bend, a bent line.
Not actually exemplified in OE., but entering into numerous compounds, as elnboʓa elbow, hring-buʓa ‘ring-bow,’ a coiled snake, rén-boʓa rain-bow, stán-boʓa ‘stone-bow,’ an arch, boʓa-net bow-net. In ME. the general sense was often supplied from French by arch, but bow is occasional. (In quot. 1387, it is quite possible that bowe is the Norse bug-r bend, bowing, the bend of a river.)
1387. Trevisa, Higden (1865), II. 87. From þe bowe of the ryuer of Humber.
1541. Elyot, Image Gov., 100. The Theatre was a place made in the fourme of a bowe, that hath a great bente.
1846. Ellis, Elgin Marb., II. 13. The floating drapery describes a bow above her head.
II. Specific uses.
2. A rainbow. (Mostly contextual or poetical for the compound.)
a. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. ix. 14. Æteowþ min boʓa on ðam wolcnum.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 284. Heo þone heofonlican boʓan mid hyre bleoʓe efenlæce.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 1977 (Fairf.). Quen þou þat boghe may se þer-oute of suche flode haue þou na doute.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xliii. 12. See the bowe, and blisse hym that made it.
1597. Drayton, Mortimer., 53. The bowe appeares to tell the flood is donne.
c. 1630. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. (1711), 56/2. Ropes make of the rainy bow.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 865. A dewie Cloud, and in the Cloud a Bow.
1728. Thomson, Spring, 203. Bestriding earth, the grand ethereal bow.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., cxxii. 190. Every dew-drop paints a bow.
† 3. An arch (of masonry), as in a gateway, or bridge. Obs. exc. dial.
a. 1000. Beowulf (Z.), 2719. Ða stan boʓan stapulum fæste.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 323. Þurȝ drwry deth boȝ vch ma dreue.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xx. 26. He bowith in vpon hem a stonene bowe.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 125. After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe [Cambr. MS. stratforthe at the bowe].
1483. Cath. Angl., 31/1. A Bowe of a bryge.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. x. 10. Thai portis with thair stalwart bow and brace.
1513–75. Diurnal Occurrents (1833), 211. At Bessie Beaties hous, in the passage to the over boll.
1570–87. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 327. Their heads were set … on the neither-bow.
1862. Barnes, Rhymes Dorset. Dial., II. 75. By the mossy brudge’s bow.
4. A weapon for shooting arrows or similar missiles, consisting of a strip of elastic wood or other material, bent by means of a string stretched between its two ends; the arrow is impelled by the recoil which follows the retraction of the string. Phrases. To bend or draw a bow, to shoot with (formerly in) a bow. Bows and bills! the cry of alarm raised in the English camp in old times. See also CROSS-BOW, STONE-BOW.
a. 1000. Gnomic Vers., 154 (Gr.). Boʓa sceal stræle.
c. 1205. Lay., 6471. Enne boȝe swiðe strong.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 250. He tobrekeð his bowe.
1340. Ayenb., 45. An archer., nom his boȝe.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Kings xxii. 34. A maner man bente a boowe.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 45. My bowe xal I drawe.
1557. Tottel’s Misc., 265. He claymed Cupides boe.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 61. Many a man speaketh of Robyn hood, That neuer shot in his bowe.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., 23 (Jam.). The schout ryises, Bowes and Billis!… whiche is a significatioun of extreim defence.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 48. Hee drew a good Bow … hee shot a fine shoote.
1607. Dekker, Northw. Hoe, V. Wks. 1873, III. 80. Its better to shoot in a bowe that has been shot in before.
1671. Milton, P. R., III. 305. They issue forth, steel bows and shafts their arms.
1830. Sir J. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., III. iii. (1851), 273. The bow of Ulysses, which none but its master could bend.
1877. Bryant, Among Trees, 96. While yet the Indian hunter drew the bow.
b. transf. A bowman (in plural).
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. 34/2. x. M. knyghtes … vi. M. crosse bowes, xv. M. longe bowes, and xl. M. Othere men.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1259/1. There was among these a thirtie bowes with a bagpipe.
1825. Scott, Talism., x. A strong guard of bills and bows.
c. fig. with many phrases: e.g., To have two (many, etc.) strings to one’s bow: to have two (or many) resources or alternatives. To draw the long bow: to make exaggerated statements (colloq.). † The bent of one’s bow: one’s intention, inclination, disposition, ‘calibre’ (cf. BENT sb.2 8, 9). † To shoot in (another’s) bow: to practise an art other than one’s own. † By the string rather than the bow: by the most direct way.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 30. Ye haue many stryngis to the bowe. Ibid., 165. I haue the bent of his bowe, that I know.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 116. My counsaile is that thou have more strings to thy bow than one.
1678. Butler, Hud., III. i. 3. As he that has two strings t’ his bow, And burns for love and money too.
1690. W. Walker, Idiomat. Anglo-Lat., Pref. 4. To save … the labour of turning from place to place with references, which to some is tedious and to all unpleasing who love to go by the string rather than by the bow.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. s.v. Bent, I have got the bend of his bow, ego illius sensum pulchrè calleo.
1814. Jane Austen, Mansf. Park, I. viii. 169 (D.). Miss Bertram, who might be said to have two strings to her bow.
1824. Byron, Juan, XVI. i. They … draw the long bow better now than ever.
† d. To bend or bring (a person) to one’s bow: i.e., to one’s will, inclination or control. To come to (a person’s) bow: to become compliant or subject. (Here there may have been later association with BOW sb.2)
1631. Foxe’s A. & M., III. xii. 880/2. Perceiuing they could not bend him vnto their bowe.
1633. H. Cogan, Pinto’s Trav., lxxii. (1663), 294. All this he did cunningly, hoping by this means to bring him to his bowe with less peril.
1650. Hubbert, Pill Formality, 22. To bear such sway and rule over others that they must have all men come to their bow.
1675. Brooks, Gold. Key, Wks. (1867), V. 497. Neither Darius, his presidents, nor princes, could ever bring Daniel to their bow.
1682. Bunyan, Holy War, 30. Mansoul being wholly at his beck, and brought wholly to his bow.
1697. Dampier, Voy. (1729), II. II. 5. The Dutch … have lately endeavoured to bring the King … to their Bow.
† 5. A yoke for oxen. Obs. or dial.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 901. [Oxin] als … bowande to þe bowes as any bestes might.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 5. His oxen or horses, and the geare that belongeth to them, that is to say, bowes, yokes, landes, stylkynges, wrethynge temes.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. iii. 80. As the Oxe hath his bow sir, the horse his curb, [etc.].
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 322. Bow, an Ox-bow or Yoak.
1721. Bailey, Bow, or Ox-Bow, a Yoke of Oxen. C[ountry Word].
b. pl. Two pieces of wood laid archwise to fit a horse’s back, give the saddle its due form, and keep it tight: see SADDLE-BOW.
6. Music. [from 4.] The appliance with which instruments of the violin class are played, being a rod of elastic wood with a number of horse-hairs stretched from end to end, which is drawn across the strings, and causes them to sound. (It was formerly curved, with a cord instead of the hairs, thus resembling an archer’s bow.)
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, L’Archet d’vn rebec … the bowe of a viole.
1776. Burney, Hist. Mus. (1789), I. 271. The bow now in use was … unknown to the ancients.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, V. xxiii. 537. They struck the strings sometimes with a bow, and sometimes only with the fingers.
1880. Grove, Dict. Mus., II. 632. [Paganini] made his staccato by throwing the bow violently on the string.
b. [f. BOW v.] A single passage of the bow across the string.
1838. W. Gardiner, Music of Nat., 120. In Beethoven … we find many bars included in one bow.
c. transf. Part of an insect’s wing resembling a violin-bow in function.
1836–9. Todd, Cycl. Anat. & Phys., II. 928/2. When the wings are rubbed briskly together these rasps or bows produce a loud grating against some projecting nervures.
7. Applied to parts of the body resembling a bow.
† a. The iris of the eye. b. The eye-brow. Obs.
1611. Cotgr., Arc … the bow, or Iris of the eye.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, 64. The Bows her Eyes above. Ibid., 103. How have I prais’d thy Cheeks where Roses blow! How dwell’d with Wonder on thy sable Bow!
† 8. An arc of a circle. Obs.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., III. I. (ed. 7), 274. The circular line … is called arcus, in English the bow.
1660. Bloome, Archit., B iij. Where that Circle cutteth the 12 part … divide above the bowe thereof … in foure.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 68. The motion would be … a bow or arch of a circle. Ibid., 117. A wheel of manifold rims … would make out uneven bows of circles, in even shares of time.
† 9. ‘An astronomical instrument formerly used at sea, consisting of only one large graduated arc of 90°, three vanes, and a shank or staff.’ Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk.
1696. Phillips, Bow, a Mathematical Instrument to take heights. [1706 Ibid., A Mathematical Instrument, formerly us’d by Seamen to take the height of the Sun.]
10. An instrument for drawing curves, especially of large radius, consisting of a rigid beam, and a strip of wood, steel, or the like, which is bent into the required shape by means of screws.
1706. Phillips, Bow,… a Beam of Wood or Brass, with three long Screws that direct a Lath of Wood or Steel to any Arch; being commonly us’d to make Draughts of Ships, Projections of the Sphere, &c. [So Bailey, 1731, Johnson, etc.]
11. a. A ring or hoop of metal, etc., forming a handle. Cf. BAIL sb.2, BOUL.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Anneau, The bow (or vpmost part) of a key.
1685. Lond. Gaz., No. 3054/4. A pair of Scissars with silver Bowes.
1730. Savery, in Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 328. It … lifted a Key by the Bow.
1833. J. Holland, Manuf. Metals, II. 39. Fancy scissors with shanks and bows of gold.
1863. Atkinson, Danby Provinc., Bow, a semicircular hoop or handle to anything, as a basket, a backstone or a pail.
1884. F. Britten, Watch & Clockm., 36. The ring of a watch case by which it is attached to the watch guard is … called a bow.
b. The guard of a sword-hilt, or of a trigger.
1701. Lond. Gaz., No. 3723/4. A silver-hilted Sword without a Bow.
1881. Greener, Gun, 328. The lever being so shaped and adjusted as to form the bow.
c. A bent strip of wood or metal to support the hood, cover, etc., of a vehicle; a bail or slat.
12. Arch. a. (See quots.)
a. 1723. Wren, in Gwilt, Archit., 1006. The vaults of the nave … are supported … by the lowes or flying buttresses. Ibid., Gloss. Bow, the part of any building which projects from a straight wall. It is sometimes circular and sometimes polygonal on the plan, or rather formed by two exterior obtuse angles. Bows on polygonal plans are called canted bows. [Hence Bow-window.]
b. Short for BOW-WINDOW.
1885. Constance Cary Harrison, in Harper’s Mag., March, 547/1. Two little windows had been knocked out to be replaced by an ample bow.
13. A name of various instruments or tools consisting of a curved piece of wood, with a string extending from one extremity to the other; used, e.g., by smiths, etc., for turning a drill; by turners for turning wood; by hatters for separating the fibers of fur or wool.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, II. 784. Hat Manuf., After the fur is thus driven by the bow from one end of the hurdle to the other, it forms a mass called a bat.
14. An Indian musical instrument.
1871. Mateer, Travancore, 217. The favourite instrument, because the noisiest, is that which is called ‘the bow.’ A series of bells of various sizes is fastened to the frame of a gigantic bow, the strings are tightened so as to emit a musical note when struck, [etc.].
† 15. A bow’s length, used as a measure of length in archery: chiefly in fig. phrases. Obs.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier, in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), II. 224. Alas! proud princox, you pearch a bow to hie. Ibid., Disput., 2. No, no, Nan, you are two bowes downe the wind.
1607. Middleton, Michaelm. Term, IV. i. I am not a bow wide of your mind, sir.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., xi. Some men will haue an ayme Sixe Bowes beyond the Levell wch they made.
16. a. ‘The doubling of a string in a slip-knot’ (J.); a single-looped knot. b. A double-looped ornamental knot into which ribbons, etc., are tied (the usual sense). c. A necktie, ribbon, etc., tied up in such a knot. Hence bow-knot.
1671. Crowne, Juliana, III. 33. What knot? a bow-knot? A bow-knot saucy-chops? ha! can you tye your nose of a bow-knot?
1676. Wiseman, Chirurg. Treat., III. v. 229 (J.). Make a knot … and let the second knot be with a bow.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journey (1778), I. 5. Tying up the ribband in a bow-knot, [I] returned it to her.
1874. Queen, 8 Aug. The sleeves were … ornamented with bows of brown faille.
Mod. Her sash was tied in a bow.
III. Attrib. and Comb.
17. attrib. or as adj. Bent like a bow, bowed.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 619. On his bow-backe, he hath a battell set, Of brisly pikes.
1678. Lond. Gaz., No. 1272/4. He is aged about 25 years … a bowe nose a little sharp and reddish. Ibid. (1703), No. 3951/4. Lewis Branson … with fair Hair and bow Legs.
1832. Marryat, N. Forster, vi. A little fat man with bow legs.
18. Obvious comb., as bow-chest, -maker; bow-bending, bow-like, -played, bow-shaped adjs.
a. 1688. Villiers (Dk. Buckhm.), Poems (1775), 142. *Bow-bending Cupid.
1515–24. in E. Lodge, Illustr. Brit. Hist. (1838), I. 2. To my Lord D’Arcy, by 3 warrants; bows of yew, 4074 … *bow chests and arrow chests, 240.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xxxii. (1614), 63/1. Whose East coasts lye *bowe-like into the German ocean.
1859. R. Burton, Centr. Afr., in Jrnl. Geog. Soc., XXIX. 320. [Lips] pointed in the centre with that bowlike form which Europeans hold beautiful.
1864. Hist. Violin, in Eng. Mech. (1870), 11 Feb., 536/2. John Dodd was … England’s best *bow-maker.
1836. Dubourg, Violin, ix. (1878), 274. The construction of *bow-played instruments.
Mod. A *bow-shaped curvature.
19. Special comb. bow-arm, the arm that holds the bow (in archery or in violin-playing); bow-beaked a., having a curved beak; bow-bender, ? a bow-bearer; bow-bent a., bent like a bow, bowed; bow-boy, a boy with a bow (applied to Cupid); bow-brace, a guard to protect the left arm from the friction of the bowstring; † bow closet, a closet in a recess in the wall of a room; bow-drill, a drill turned by means of a bow, the string of which is twisted round the drill (see sense 13); bow-fin, a kind of fish (Amia calva); bow-houghed a., having crooked hips; bow-instrument, an instrument played with a bow, as a violin; bow-knot (see sense 16); † bow-lap, a term describing a particular posture of the leaves of a plant (see quot.); † bow-marks, butts for archery; bow-meeting, a meeting for the practice of archery; bow-necked a., having a curved neck; bow-pen, bow-pencil, a bow-compass with a pen or pencil; bow-pin, a key or cotter to fasten the bow of an ox-yoke; bow-saw, a saw with a narrow blade stretched in a strong frame as the bowstring in the bow; bow-stock, the stock or longitudinal beam of a cross-bow; † bow-tree, the wooden part of an archer’s bow; † bow-ward, a nick in the end of the stem of a key where it joins the bow (see sense 11); bow-woman (nonce-wd.), a female archer; bow-wood, the wood of the Osage Orange (Maclura aurantiaca).
1820. T. Waring, Treat. Archery, 47. The Brace Buckles round the *Bow-arm to prevent the string hurting it.
1881. Broadhouse, Mus. Acoust., 167. A steady and practised use of the bow-arm.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, XVI. 521. Two vultures … *Bow-beak’d, crook-talon’d.
a. 1697. Aubrey, Surrey (1718), III. 74. In the Chancel is a handsome Free-stone Monument … said to belong to Sir Thomas Carwarden, Kt. who was *Bow-Bender to King Henry VIII. but without any sort of inscription remaining.
1592. Greene, Groat’s-w. Wit (1874), 13. Hee would stroake his *bowbent leg, as though he went to shoote loue arrows from his shins.
1628. Milton, Vac. Exerc., 69. A sibyl old, bow-bent with crooked age.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 16. His heart cleft with the blind *Bowe-boyes but-shaft.
1758. Mrs. Delany, To Mrs. Dewes, 542. A little shell ornament for my *bow closet.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., ix. 243. The *bow-drill thus formed, is a most ancient and well-known boring instrument.
1880. Günther, Fishes, 372. The *‘Bow-fin’ or ‘Mud-fish’ is not uncommon in … fresh waters of the United States.
1672. Phil. Trans., VII. 5064. One of the G. Dukes Musicians, & plays on all *Bow-Instruments.
1672. Grew, Anat. Plants, I. iv. § 16. There is the *Bow-Lap, where the leaves are all laid somewhat convexly one over another, but not plaited.
1877. All Y. Round, 29 Sept., 186. The character of these *bow-meetings varies.
1858. Lytton, What will He do? II. iv. Showy, *bow-necked, long-tailed … hybrids.
1869. Eng. Mech., 19 March, 574/2. In tracing a circle with a *bow-pen.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 102. The Frame or *Bow-Saw.
c. 1500[?]. Robin Hood (Ritson), I. i. 288. Lytell Johan toke none other mesure But his *bowe tre.
1677. Moxon, Mech. Exerc. (1703), 23. H the Shank … K the *Bow-ward, L the bow.
1877. All Y. Round, 29 Sept., 188. The performances of the bowmen are decidedly distanced by those of the *bowwomen.
1866. Treas. Bot., s.v. Maclura, Its elastic yellow wood is called *Bow-wood, from its being used by the Indians for making bows.
