- bow (v.)
- O.E. bugan "to bend, to bend the body in condescension," also "to turn back" (class II strong verb; past tense beag, pp. bogen), from P.Gmc. *bugon (cf. M.L.G. bugen, O.H.G. biogan, Goth. biugan "to bend," O.N. boginn "bent"), from *beugen, from PIE base *bheugh- (cf. Skt. bhujati "bends, thrusts aside"). The noun is first recorded 1656. Bow out "withdraw" is from 1942.
- bow (n1.)
- "weapon," O.E. boga "archery bow, arch, rainbow," from P.Gmc. *bugon (see bow (v.)). The sense of "a looped knot" is from 1547. The musician's bow (1580) was formerly curved like the archer's. bowlegged is attested from 1552.
- bow (n2.)
- "front of a ship," 1342, from O.N. bogr or M.Du. boech "bow of a ship," lit. "shoulder (of an animal)," the connecting notion being "the shoulders of the ship." See bough.