Bowed
/boʊd/noun
Bent downward in shape, posture, or attitude; also the past tense and past participle of bow.
Did you know?The posture sense and the verb sense both come from an old Germanic word for bending or curving, while the ritual act of bowing became a social signal of submission, respect, and hierarchy across Europe.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bheug-
“to bend, curve, or flee”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*būganą
“to bend, bow, or yield”
Old English
English
būgan
“to bend, stoop, or incline”
Middle English
English
bowen
“to bend down; to incline the body in respect”
Modern English
English
bowed
“bent downward; having made a bow; or having yielded”