noun / verb
bow
A stick strung with horsehair used to sound a string instrument.
The violinist draws her bow smoothly across the strings.
Etymology
Old English boga named a bend or arch. The musical implement shares the bent-stick-and-string form of a bow, using stretched hair against instrument strings to produce sound.
More examples
- Apply a little rosin to the bow before playing.
- The cellist bows a long, quiet note.
- She switches from bowing the strings to plucking them.
Forms
bow · bows · bowed · bowing
Similar words
- play
- Means making music generally, not specifically using a bow.