Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A knot with large decorative loops.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A slip-knot made by drawing a portion of a cord, ribbon, etc., in the form of a bow through an involution, which is then tightened round the bow. The knot is simple if there is only one bow, double if there are two; it can be easily untied by drawing the bow back.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A knot in which a portion of the string is drawn through in the form of a loop or bow, so as to be readily untied.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A knot that has two loops and two loose ends, either used decoratively, or to tie shoelaces.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

bow +‎ knot

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word bowknot.

Examples

  • The men call it a "bowknot" of river; so we name it Bowknot

    Canyons of the Colorado John Wesley Powell 1868

  • I had refastened it in a simple bowknot, a sort of knot which on Gor, in certain contexts, as in the present context, is spoken of as a slave knot.

    Renegades Of Gor Norman, John 1986

  • _When you've had your ears pinned back in a bowknot, it's sometimes hard to remember that an intelligent people has no respect for a whipped enemy ... but does for a fairly beaten enemy.

    The Stoker and the Stars Algis Budrys 1969

  • She put them down on the glass-topped table, sat, and pulled the end of a bowknot MURDER BY THE BOOK 97

    Murder By The Book Stout, Rex, 1886-1975 1951

  • Thereupon the second member of the team runs, unties the bowknot, returns with the string; and hands it to the third, who runs forward, and ties it in a bowknot, as did the first, and returning touches off the fourth, etc. The aisle in which each pupil has accomplished the required task first, wins the race.

    School, Church, and Home Games George Orrin Draper

  • At a signal to start each pupil with the string runs forward and ties it in a bowknot on some article placed in front of each aisle.

    School, Church, and Home Games George Orrin Draper

  • She was too cheerful and hopeful to really care because she couldn't entwine the two initials of the only name she knew into an artistic bowknot!

    A Little Miss Nobody Or, With the Girls of Pinewood Hall Amy Bell Marlowe

  • Today he was so absorbed that he had almost twisted the offending lock into a double bowknot and he heeded the children no more than flies.

    Chicken Little Jane Lily Munsell Ritchie

  • Courtship is a bowknot that matrimony pulls into a hard knot.

    More Toasts Marion Dix [Editor] Mosher

  • Then this bird drops twice the amount on the coffee table, strides over to the corner, picks up the lamp, and ties the iron pipe into a fancy-looking bowknot.

    Highways in Hiding George Oliver Smith 1946

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.