kow·tow
Audio Help [kou-tou, -tou, koh-] Pronunciation Key
—Related forms
Audio Help [kou-tou, -tou, koh-] Pronunciation Key –verb (used without object)
–noun
| 1. | to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. |
| 2. | to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., esp. in former Chinese custom. |
| 3. | the act of kowtowing. |
Also, kotow.
[Origin: 1795–1805; < Chin kòutóu lit., knock (one's) head
]
] —Related forms
kowtower, noun
| Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006. |
kowtow
To learn more about kowtow visit Britannica.com
| © 2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. |
| kow·tow
Audio Help (kou-tou', kou'tou') Pronunciation Key
intr.v. kow·towed, kow·tow·ing, kow·tows
n.
[From Chinese (Mandarin) kòu tóu, a kowtow : kòu, to knock + tóu, head.] |
| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
kowtow
1804 (n.), from Chinese k'o-t'ou custom of touching the ground with the forehead to show respect or submission, lit. "knock the head," from k'o "knock, bump" + t'ou "head." The verb in the fig. sense of "act in an obsequious manner" is from 1826.
| Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper |
| kowtow | |
noun | |
| 1. | a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission |
verb | |
| 1. | bend the knees and bow in a servile manner [syn: scrape] |
| 2. | try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; "He is always kowtowing to his boss" [syn: fawn] |
| WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University. |
Kowtow
Kow*tow"\, n. & v. i. The same as Kotow. I have salaamed and kowtowed to him. --H. James.| Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. |
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