kowtow
to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference.
to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom.
the act of kowtowing.
Origin of kowtow
1- Sometimes ko·tow [koh-tou, -tou] /ˈkoʊˈtaʊ, -ˌtaʊ/ .
Other words from kowtow
- kowtower, noun
Words Nearby kowtow
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use kowtow in a sentence
And, of course, all these people had to kowtow and sell to Saatchi.
Joshua Compston Was Once the Wunderkind of the British Art World…and Now He’s Been Practically Forgotten | Anthony Haden-Guest | January 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIf President Obama wants to kowtow more to "the markets" (Wall Street), he might appoint someone like Summers or Rubin.
He likes to remind people that he supports abortion rights and does not kowtow to the fire-breathers in the Republican ranks.
At certain points, the legislative kowtow went over the top.
Hedge Fund Managers Are the Heroes of this Crisis | Frank Partnoy | November 18, 2008 | THE DAILY BEASTMake the flag of the free so well known and respected that everywhere peopled kowtow to the same and take off their hats.
Motor Boat Boys Down the Danube | Louis Arundel
After a great deal of kowtow, they were planted in two chairs opposite each other in the living-room.
The Monster and Other Stories | Stephen CraneAs he declined to kowtow before the emperor, he was not admitted to the imperial presence and the mission proved 199 abortive.
To the emperor, the “kowtow” is performed by kneeling three times, each act accompanied by touching the ground with the forehead.
And yet he did not move—he made no movement save to kowtow for mercy with his head.
Wang the Ninth | Putnam Weale
British Dictionary definitions for kowtow
/ (ˌkaʊˈtaʊ) /
to touch the forehead to the ground as a sign of deference: a former Chinese custom
(often foll by to) to be servile or obsequious (towards)
the act of kowtowing
Origin of kowtow
1Derived forms of kowtow
- kowtower, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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