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Bent vs Bow - What's the difference?

bent | bow |

As a proper noun bent

is .

As a noun bow is

a weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows or bow can be a gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist or bow can be (nautical) the front of a boat or ship.

As a verb bow is

to play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow or bow can be to bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.

bent

English

Etymology 1

From bend.

Verb

(head)
  • (bend)

    • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (Of something that is usually straight) folded, dented
  • (derogatory, colloquial, chiefly, UK) Homosexual.
  • Determined or insistent.
    • He was bent on going to Texas, but not even he could say why.
    They were bent on mischief.
  • Of a person, leading a life of crime.
  • (slang, football) inaccurate at shooting
    • That shot was so bent it left the pitch.
  • (colloquial, chiefly, US) Suffering from the bends
  • (slang) High]] from using both [[Cannabis, marijuana and alcohol.
    • Man, I am so bent right now!
    Synonyms
    * (folded) crooked * (homosexual) queer
    Derived terms
    * bent as a nine-bob note
    Related terms
    * (determined) hellbent

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An inclination or talent.
    • He had a natural bent for painting.
  • A predisposition to act or react in a particular way.
    • His mind was of a technical bent .
  • The state of being curved, crooked, or inclined from a straight line; flexure; curvity.
    • the bent of a bow
    (Wilkins)
  • A declivity or slope, as of a hill.
    • (Dryden)
  • Particular direction or tendency; flexion; course.
  • * John Locke
    • bents and turns of the matter
  • (carpentry) A transverse frame of a framed structure.
  • Tension; force of acting; energy; impetus.
  • * Norris
    • the full bent and stress of the soul
    Synonyms
    * (an inclination or talent) disposition, predilection, proclivity, propensity

    Etymology 2

    Origin uncertain. Apparently representing (etyl) (term) (attested only in place-names and personal names), cognate with Old High German binuz (modern German ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Any of various stiff or reedy grasses.
  • * Drayton
    • His spear a bent , both stiff and strong.
  • * 1888 , Rudyard Kipling, ‘The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes’, The Phantom ’Rickshaw and Other Tales , Folio Society 2005, p. 121:
    • Gunga Dass gave me a double handful of dried bents which I thrust down the mouth of the lair to the right of his, and followed myself, feet foremost [...].
  • * 1913 ,
    • Clusters of strong flowers rose everywhere above the coarse tussocks of bent .
  • A grassy area, grassland.
  • * The Ballad of Chevy Chase
    • Bowmen bickered upon the bent .
    English irregular past participles English irregular simple past forms ----

    bow

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) boga, from (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
  • A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow ).
  • A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
  • A stringed instrument, similar to the item described above.
  • A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.
  • Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
  • * Bible, Genesis ix. 13
    • I do set my bow in the cloud.
  • The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
  • 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 hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
  • (nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
  • (saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
    • Synonyms
    * (bow-shaped bend) arc, bend, curve * (tool for playing stringed instruments) fiddlestick
    Derived terms
    * bow and arrow * bowman * bowmanship * composite bow * compound bow * crossbow * longbow * oxbow * rainbow * shortbow * bow tie

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To play music on (a stringed instrument) using a bow.
    • The musician bowed his violin expertly.
  • To become bent or curved.
    • The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
  • To make something bend or curve.
  • * Milton
    • We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
  • * Prescott
    • The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
  • (figurative) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
  • * Francis Bacon
    • Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
  • * Fuller
    • not to bow and bias their opinions
  • To premiere.
    • Cronenberg’s "Cosmopolis" bows in Cannes this week.

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen, Danish bue.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
  • * 1900 , , (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz)
    • The soldier now blew upon a green whistle, and at once a young girl, dressed in a pretty green silk gown, entered the room. She had lovely green hair and green eyes, and she bowed low before Dorothy as she said, "Follow me and I will show you your room."
  • * , chapter=4
    • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions during my yarn, but every question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}
  • (transitive, and, intransitive) To debut.
  • * 2010 (publication date), Kara Krekeler, "Rebuilding the opera house", West End Word , volume 39, number 26, December 22, 2010 – January 11, 2011, page 1:
    • SCP recently announced that How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical will bow on the newly renovated stage next December.
  • To defer (to something).
    • Derived terms
    * bow down * bow out * bow and scrape * take a bow

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist.
    • He bowed politely as he entered the room.
  • A debut
    • The new product will make its bow on the world market this summer.
  • * {{quote-journal, 1832, , Literary Notices, The Rail-Road Journal citation
    • , passage=The first named one, it will be observed, is but a debutant. It makes its bow in a drab-colored Quaker-looking dress, and barring a lively McGrawler-like critique upon " Lewis' Poems," is staid and professorial in its tone.}}

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) boech or (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1907, author=
    • , title=The Dust of Conflict , chapter=6 citation , passage=The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow , though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity.}}
    Synonyms
    * (of a ship) prow
    Antonyms
    * (of a ship) poop, stern
    Derived terms
    * bow shock * bow rudder

    See also

    * coll'arco * curtsy * kowtow * * * * * * *

    Anagrams

    * English heteronyms English terms with multiple etymologies