different between knob vs bow

English

Etymology

From Middle English knobbe, from Middle Low German knobbe (“knob; knot in wood”). Cognate with Dutch knob, knobbel (“knob”), German Knubbe, Knubbel (“knob”). See also knop.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: n?b, IPA^(key): /n?b/
• (US) enPR: n?b, IPA^(key): /n?b/
• Rhymes: -?b
• Homophone: nob

Noun

knob (plural knobs)

1. A rounded protuberance, especially one arising from a flat surface; a fleshy lump or caruncle.
2. A rounded control switch that can be turned on its axis, designed to be operated by the fingers.
3. A ball-shaped part of a handle, lever, etc., designed to be grabbed by the hand.
4. A rounded ornament on the hilt of an edged weapon; a pommel.
5. A prominent, rounded bump along a mountain ridge.
6. (geography) A prominent rounded hill.
   • 2011, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Pulphead, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p. 144:

     We climbed to the top of Slate Hill, the highest knob in our town, and Ricky gave me a whole talk on how slate formed, how it was and was not shale.

7. (slang, chiefly in the plural) A woman's breast.
8. (vulgar, slang, chiefly Britain) The penis.
9. (vulgar, slang) The head of the penis; the glans.
10. (slang, derogatory, by analogy with above) A contemptible person.
11. (cooking) A dollop, an amount just larger than a spoonful (usually referring to butter).
12. A chunky branch-like piece, especially of a ginger rhizome.
    • 2001, David Joachim, The Clever Cook's Kitchen Handbook

      Place whole, unpeeled knobs of ginger in a zipper-lock freezer bag for up to 3 months. Slice or break off what you need and return the rest to the freezer.

13. A bulb of the garlic plant consisting of multiple cloves.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:penis

Derived terms

• doorknob
• drawknob
• knob-and-tube
• knobhead

Translations

Verb

knob (third-person singular simple present knobs, present participle knobbing, simple past and past participle knobbed)

1. (Britain, slang, vulgar, of a man) To have sex with.

Synonyms

• dick, get up in, schlong; see also Thesaurus:copulate with

Anagrams

• Bonk, bonk

Danish

Etymology

From Middle Low German kn?p (“knot”), probably via Old Saxon from a variant of Proto-Germanic *knappô (“knob, lump”). Compare Dutch knoop and Swedish knop.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kno?b/, [k?no??b?]

Noun

knob n or c

1. knot (nautical unit of speed)
2. knot (some specific type of looping of a rope)

Usage notes

In the sense speed unit, it is common gender; the plural indefinite form is knob; no definite forms. In the sense looping of a rope it is neuter gender.

Inflection

Synonyms

• (knot): knude

Further reading

• knob on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da
• Knob (fart) on the Danish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^da
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “knob”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Middle English

Noun

knob

1. Alternative form of knobbe

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English bowe, bo?e, from Old English boga, from Proto-West Germanic *bog?, from Proto-Germanic *bugô. Cognate with West Frisian boge, Dutch boog, German Bogen, Danish bue, Norwegian boge, bue, Swedish båge.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: b?, IPA^(key): /b??/
• (US) enPR: b?, IPA^(key): /bo?/
• Rhymes: -??
• Homophone: beau

Noun

bow (plural bows)

1. A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
2. A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
3. A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
4. A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
5. 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.
6. Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.

   • I do set my bow in the cloud.

7. The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
8. Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
9. 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.
10. (nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
11. (saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
12. The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.

    Coordinate term: blade

Synonyms

• (bow-shaped bend): arc, bend, curve
• (tool for playing stringed instruments): fiddlestick
• (a type of stringed instrument): musical bow

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

bow (third-person singular simple present bows, present participle bowing, simple past and past participle bowed)

1. To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.

   The musician bowed his violin expertly.

2. (intransitive) To become bent or curved.

   The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
3. (transitive) To make something bend or curve.
   • 1843, William H. Prescott, The History of the Conquest of Mexico

     The whole nation […] bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.

4. (transitive, figuratively) To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
   • 1625, Francis Bacon, Of Atheism

     Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.

   • not to bow and bias their opinions

Derived terms

• bower
• diddley bower

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English bowen, buwen, bu?en, from Old English b?gan, from Proto-West Germanic *beugan, from Proto-Germanic *beugan?, from Proto-Indo-European *b??g?- (“to bend”). Cognate with Dutch buigen, German biegen, Danish bue.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bou, IPA^(key): /ba?/
• Rhymes: -a?
• Homophone: bough

Verb

bow (third-person singular simple present bows, present participle bowing, simple past and past participle bowed)

1. (intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
   • 1900, L. Frank Baum, 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."

2. (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.

3. (intransitive) To defer (to something).

4. (transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.

Hypernyms

• (gesture): gesture; congee, congé, conge

Derived terms

Related terms

• buxom

Translations

Noun

bow (plural bows)

1. A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence

   He made a polite bow as he entered the room.

Hypernyms

• (gesture): gesture; congee, congé, conge

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English bowe, bowgh, a borrowing from Middle Low German bôch and/or Middle Dutch boech, from Proto-Germanic *b?guz, from Proto-Indo-European *b?eh???us (“arm”). Cognate with Dutch boeg (“bow”), Danish bov (“bow”), Swedish bog (“bow”). Doublet of bough.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bou, IPA^(key): /ba?/
• Rhymes: -a?
• Homophone: bough

Noun

bow (plural bows)

1. (nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
2. (rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.

Synonyms

• (of a ship): prow

Antonyms

• (of a ship): poop, stern

Derived terms

• bow rudder
• bow shock
• shot across the bow, shot across the bows

Usage notes

• Often used in the plural, the ship being considered to have starboard and port bows, meeting at the stern.

Translations

Etymology 4

Noun

bow (plural bows)

1. (obsolete) Alternative spelling of bough

   • Ariell:

     Where the Bee ?ucks, there ?uck I,

     In a Cowslips bell, I lie,

     There I cowch when Owles doe crie,

     On the Batts backe I doe flie

     ? after Sommer merrily.

     Merrily, merrily, ?hall I liue now

     Vnder the blo??om that hangs on the Bow.

See also

• coll'arco
• curtsy
• kowtow
• Wikipedia article on bows (weapons)
• Wikipedia article on bows used to play string instruments
• Wikipedia article on bows (the knots)
• Wikipedia article on musical bows
• Wikipedia article on bows, the gestures of respect
• Wikipedia article on the bows of ships
• Bow in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Anagrams

• WBO

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From Dutch bouwen (“to build”).

Verb

bow

1. to build
2. (figuratively, with tapu) to trust, to depend on

Vilamovian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bo?f/

Noun

b?w f (plural bowa)

1. woman
2. wife