Bow vs. Vow — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on December 24, 2023
A bow is either a gesture of bending the head or body in respect or a weapon/tool for shooting arrows, while a vow is a solemn promise or commitment, often made in a religious or spiritual context.
Difference Between Bow and Vow
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
The bow, as a physical gesture, involves bending the body or head as a sign of respect or greeting, whereas a vow is a verbal or written promise, often solemn and binding, made to oneself or others.
As a tool, the bow is an instrument used for shooting arrows, traditionally made of wood and string, essential in archery and hunting. In contrast, a vow represents a personal or religious commitment, potentially a pledge of loyalty, love, or faith.
In various cultural contexts, the bow serves as a symbol of honor and courtesy, demonstrating respect or submission. The vow, however, symbolizes a deep, often spiritual, commitment, embodying sincerity and seriousness in one's intentions.
The art of bow-making and archery requires skill and precision, reflecting a blend of historical and practical significance. Vows, on the other hand, are integral to many cultural, religious, and personal ceremonies, marking significant life events or decisions.
The bow, in its weapon form, has played a crucial role in historical warfare and hunting practices, evolving in design over time. A vow, typically articulated in words, forms the basis of many legal, religious, and personal bonds, often upheld with high regard.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A gesture of respect or a weapon for archery.
A solemn promise or commitment.
Material/Form
Made of wood/string (weapon) or body gesture.
Composed of spoken or written words.
Cultural Role
Symbol of honor (gesture) or skill (weapon).
Represents sincerity and commitment.
Usage
In greetings, archery, or warfare.
In ceremonies, legal, and personal commitments.
Historical Significance
Ancient tool for hunting/warfare, social gesture.
Integral to religious and cultural traditions.
Compare with Definitions
Bow
A weapon for shooting arrows, consisting of a curved piece of wood.
He skillfully aimed the bow at the target.
Vow
A solemn promise, often made in a religious context.
They exchanged vows at their wedding.
Bow
A gesture of bending the head or body as a sign of respect.
She gave a bow to the audience after her performance.
Vow
A binding pledge made to oneself or others.
She made a vow to complete her education.
Bow
A curved piece of wood with a string attached for archery.
The archer strung his bow before the competition.
Vow
A personal or public commitment to a cause or action.
He took a vow to support environmental conservation.
Bow
A traditional tool in hunting and ancient warfare.
The ancient warriors were adept with the bow and arrow.
Vow
A formal declaration of intention, often witnessed.
The knight made a vow of loyalty to the king.
Bow
A formal gesture used in greeting or acknowledgment.
The diplomat offered a bow to the foreign delegates.
Vow
A spoken or written promise, significant in legal or spiritual terms.
Their vows were documented in the ceremony program.
Bow
A knot tied with two loops and two loose ends, used especially for tying shoelaces and decorative ribbons
A girl with long hair tied back in a bow
Vow
A vow (Lat. votum, vow, promise; see vote) is a promise or oath.
Bow
A weapon for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of wood joined at both ends by a taut string.
Vow
An earnest promise to perform a specified act or behave in a certain manner, especially a solemn promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order
Take the vows of a nun.
Bow
A long, partially curved rod with horsehair stretched along its length, used for playing the violin and other stringed instruments.
Vow
To promise solemnly; pledge.
Bow
A curved stroke forming part of a letter (e.g. b, p).
Vow
To make a pledge or threat to undertake
Vowing revenge on their persecutors.
Bow
A metal ring forming the handle of a key or pair of scissors.
Vow
To make a vow; promise.
Bow
An act of bending the head or upper body as a sign of respect or greeting
The man gave a little bow
Vow
To declare or assert
"Well, I vow it is as fine a boy as ever was seen!" (Henry Fielding).
Bow
The front end of a ship
Water sprayed high over her bows
Vow
A solemn promise to perform some act, or behave in a specified manner, especially a promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order.
The old hermit, up in the mountains, took a vow of silence.
Bow
Play (a stringed instrument or music) using a bow
The techniques by which the pieces were bowed
Vow
A declaration or assertion.
Bow
Bend the head or upper part of the body as a sign of respect, greeting, or shame
He turned and bowed to his father
She knelt and bowed her head
Councillors stood with heads bowed
Vow
(obsolete) A votive offering.
Bow
Bend with age or under pressure
The creepers were bowed down with flowers
The roof trusses bowed as the wind fought to rip the roof free
Vow
(ambitransitive) To make a vow; to promise.
Bow
(of a new film or product) be premiered or launched
The trailer bowed in theaters nationwide on December 23
The Pentium III bowed in early 1999
Vow
(transitive) To make a vow regarding (something).
The wronged woman vowed revenge.
Bow
The front section of a ship or boat.
Vow
To declare publicly that one has made a vow, usually to show one's determination or to announce an act of retaliation.
The rebels vowed to continue their fight.
Bow
Either of the sides of this front section
The starboard bow.
Vow
A solemn promise made to God, or to some deity; an act by which one consecrates or devotes himself, absolutely or conditionally, wholly or in part, for a longer or shorter time, to some act, service, or condition; a devotion of one's possessions; as, a baptismal vow; a vow of poverty.
I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow.
I am combined by a sacred vow.
Bow
The oar or the person wielding the oar closest to the bow in a racing shell.
Vow
Specifically, a promise of fidelity; a pledge of love or affection; as, the marriage vow.
Knights of love, who never broke their vow;Firm to their plighted faith.
Bow
An inclination of the head or body, as in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Vow
To give, consecrate, or dedicate to God, or to some deity, by a solemn promise; to devote; to promise solemnly.
[Men] that vow a long and weary pilgrimage.
Bow
A bent, curved, or arched object.
Vow
To assert solemnly; to asseverate.
Bow
A weapon consisting of a curved, flexible strip of material, especially wood, strung taut from end to end and used to launch arrows.
Vow
To make a vow, or solemn promise.
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Bow
An archer.
Vow
A solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner;
They took vows of poverty
Bow
Archers considered as a group.
Vow
Make a vow; promise;
He vowed never to drink alcohol again
Bow
(Music) A rod having horsehair drawn tightly between its two raised ends, used in playing instruments of the violin and viol families.
Vow
Dedicate to a deity by a vow
Bow
A stroke made by this rod.
Bow
A knot usually having two loops and two ends; a bowknot.
Bow
A frame for the lenses of a pair of eyeglasses.
Bow
The part of such a frame passing over the ear.
Bow
A rainbow.
Bow
An oxbow.
Bow
To bend or curve downward; stoop.
Bow
To incline the body or head or bend the knee in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To yield in defeat or out of courtesy; submit.
Bow
To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To convey (greeting, for example) by bending the body.
Bow
To escort deferentially
Bowed us into the restaurant.
Bow
To cause to acquiesce; submit.
Bow
To overburden
Grief bowed them down.
Bow
To bend (something) into the shape of a bow.
Bow
(Music) To play (a stringed instrument) with a bow.
Bow
To bend into a curve or bow.
Bow
(Music) To play a stringed instrument with a bow.
Bow
A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
Bow
A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
Bow
A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
Bow
A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
Bow
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.
Bow
Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
Bow
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.
Bow
(nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
(saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
Bow
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.
Bow
(nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
Bow
(rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
Bow
Obsolete spelling of bough
Bow
C|en|Foods}} {{alternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads
Bow
To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
The musician bowed his violin expertly.
Bow
(intransitive) To become bent or curved.
The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
Bow
(transitive) To make something bend or curve.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Bow
(intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.
Bow
To debut.
Bow
(intransitive) To defer (to something).
I bow to your better judgement in the matter.
Bow
(transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.
Bow
To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
Not to bow and bias their opinions.
Bow
To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Bow
To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; to crush; to subdue.
Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
Bow
To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
Bow
To bend; to curve.
Bow
To stop.
They stoop, they bow down together.
Bow
To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; - often with down.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
Bow
To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
Admired, adored by all circling crowd,For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed.
Bow
To play (music) with a bow.
Bow
An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
Bow
Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Bow
A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
Bow
An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
Bow
An arcograph.
Bow
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 the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
Bow
A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
Bow
One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
Bow
A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
Bow
A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument
Bow
Front part of a vessel or aircraft;
He pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line
Bow
Curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows
Bow
Something curved in shape
Bow
Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
Bow
An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
Bow
A decorative interlacing of ribbons
Bow
A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
Bow
Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head;
He bowed before the King
She bowed her head in shame
Bow
Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure
Bow
Bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting;
He bowed before the King
Bow
Bend one's back forward from the waist on down;
He crouched down
She bowed before the Queen
The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse
Bow
Play on a string instrument
Common Curiosities
What types of bows are there?
There are bows for archery and the physical gesture of bowing.
Is the bow used in modern warfare?
The bow is mostly used in sports and hunting today, not modern warfare.
Can vows be legally binding?
Yes, some vows, like marriage vows, can be legally binding.
How is a bow made?
A bow is typically made from wood and string, crafted for tension and flexibility.
Can vows be broken?
Yes, but breaking a vow can have social, legal, or personal consequences.
What is the significance of bowing in culture?
Bowing is a sign of respect, humility, or greeting in many cultures.
What skills are needed for archery with a bow?
Precision, strength, and focus are key skills for using a bow in archery.
Is the bow still used in ceremonial contexts?
Yes, the bow is used in traditional ceremonies, sports, and martial arts.
Do all cultures use vows in the same way?
No, the use and form of vows vary widely across different cultures.
Are vows always religious?
No, vows can be secular or religious, depending on the context.
Are there different types of vows?
Yes, vows can be personal, religious, or formal, each with its own significance.
How are vows made in a wedding?
Wedding vows are promises exchanged between partners during a marriage ceremony.
Can children use bows?
Yes, with proper training and supervision, children can learn archery.
What is a vow of silence?
A vow of silence is a commitment to not speak for a certain period, often for spiritual reasons.
What's the historical importance of bows?
Bows have been crucial in hunting and warfare throughout history.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
