How to pronounce bow
American English pronunciation
BOW
- IPA
- /ˈbaʊ/
- Syllables
- BOW (1 syllable)
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What bow means
Most people know bow in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
The front end of a ship or boat
In a sentence: Waves splashed over the bow as the boat sailed into the wind.
Where it comes from: It came from an old Low German or Dutch word for the front of a ship that also meant shoulder. It is a different word from bow, to bend, even though they sound the same.
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