Kowtowing is a powerful gesture reserved mainly for honoring the dead or offering deep respect at a temple. This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
What is cowtowing?
Get the cowtowing neck gaiter and mug. It is the improper spelling / word for Kowtowing, which means to touch the forehead to the ground while kneeling, as an act of worship, reverence, apology, etc., especially in former Chinese custom. AKA: to kiss someone's ass or to be submissive. Her boyfriend is a jerk.
What does kowtow mean?
(kou-tou′, kou′tou′) intr.v. kow·towed, kow·tow·ing, kow·tows. 1. To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China.
What is a kowtow used for in China?
In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence for one's elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor of China, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship. In modern times, usage of the kowtow has been reduced.
What is the meaning of cow towing?
(kou-tou′, kou′tou′) intr.v. kow·towed, kow·tow·ing, kow·tows. 1. To kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in expression of deep respect, worship, or submission, as formerly done in China.
Why is it called kowtow?
Kowtow is derived from the Chinese word k'o-t'ou, which literally means “knock the head.” As a verb, kowtow has the sense of “sucking up” or "flattering." Maybe you're wondering when it would be appropriate to kowtow.
What does the expression cow tail mean?
noun. a coarse wool of poor quality.
Is it kowtow or cow down?
You can tow a cow to water, but you can't make it drink. But the word that means bowing worshipfully before someone comes from the Chinese words for knocking one's head on the ground, and is spelled kowtow.31-May-2016
Who is known as Son of Heaven?
Son of Heaven, or Tianzi, was the sacred imperial title of the Chinese emperor. It originated with the ancient Zhou dynasty and was founded on the political and spiritual doctrine of the Mandate of Heaven. The secular imperial title of the Son of Heaven was "Emperor of China".
What does it mean to cow toe?
(Entry 1 of 2) intransitive verb. 1 : to show obsequious deference : fawn kowtows to the boss. 2 : to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect.
Why is the candy called cow tales?
They are made from the same secret family recipe used to make Goetze's Caramel Creams® (a.k.a. "Bulls-Eyes®"). Cow Tales® were named in correlation with "Bulls-Eyes®," maintaining the cow theme used to promote Goetze's dedication to making caramel with quality ingredients, including real milk.
Are cow tails good for dogs?
Natural Beef Tails are the perfect long lasting dog chew – they're simply dried beef tails containing no artificial additives or preservatives. These are one of our best selling chews and will keep your dog entertained whilst also cleaning your dogs teeth and gums.
Do people still kowtow?
Today, only vestiges of the traditional usage of the kowtow remain. In many situations, the standing bow has replaced the kowtow. For example, some, but not all, people would choose to kowtow before the grave of an ancestor, or while making traditional offerings to an ancestor.
Can you say kowtow?
0:040:20How To Pronounce Kowtow - Pronunciation Academy - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou like this video please subscribe to our channel and help us pronounce.MoreYou like this video please subscribe to our channel and help us pronounce.
What does cowed mean in a sentence?
Meaning of cowed in English to frighten someone into doing something, using threats or violence: The protesters refused to be cowed into submission by the army. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.4 days ago
What does "kneeling" mean in Chinese?
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, respect, etc., esp. in former Chinese custom. n. 3. the act of kowtowing. [1795–1805; < Chinese kòutóu literally, knock (one's) head]
What does "kowtow" mean?
kowtow. ( ˌkaʊˈtaʊ) vb ( intr) 1. to touch the forehead to the ground as a sign of deference: a former Chinese custom. 2. ( often foll by to) to be servile or obsequious (towards) n. the act of kowtowing.
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What is a kowtow in a sentence?
Examples of kowtow in a Sentence. Verb you can try kowtowing to the boss, but he'll see right through you. Recent Examples on the Web: Verb And she was indeed defined by a steely independent streak that did not kowtow to outsiders, whether established civil rights figures or the leader of the free world.
What is the meaning of "kowtow"?
Kowtow originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered authority. In traditional China this ritual was performed by commoners making requests to the local magistrate, by the emperor to the shrine of Confucius, or by foreign representatives appearing before ...
What does "kowtow" mean for kids?
Kids Definition of kowtow. : to obey a person in a position of power in a way that seems weak : show overly respectful attention "And don't expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle-Beard is your father.". — Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief.
Where did the word "kowtow" come from?
The word kowtow derives from Chinese "koutou," formed by combining the verb "kou" ("to knock") with the noun "tou" ("head"). The noun had arrived in English by 1804, and the earliest evidence for the verb dates from 1826.
What does "kneeling" mean in Chinese?
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, respect, etc., esp. in former Chinese custom. n. 3. the act of kowtowing. [1795–1805; < Chinese kòutóu literally, knock (one's) head]
What does "kowtow" mean?
kowtow. ( ˌkaʊˈtaʊ) vb ( intr) 1. to touch the forehead to the ground as a sign of deference: a former Chinese custom. 2. ( often foll by to) to be servile or obsequious (towards) n. the act of kowtowing.
What is the kowtow ceremony?
In the most solemn of ceremonies, for example at the coronation of a new Emperor, the Emperor's subjects would undertake the ceremony of the "three kneelings and nine kowtows", the so-called grand kowtow, which involves kneeling from a standing position three times, and each time, performing the kowtow three times while kneeling. Immanuel Hsu describes the "full kowtow" as "three kneelings and nine knockings of the head on the ground".
What is the practice of kowtow?
Prostration is a general practice in Buddhism, and not restricted to China. The kowtow is often performed in groups of three before Buddhist statues and images or tombs of the dead. In Buddhism it is more commonly termed either "worship with the crown (of the head)" (頂禮 ding li) or "casting the five limbs to the earth" (五體投地 wuti tou di)—referring to the two arms, two legs and forehead. For example, in certain ceremonies, a person would perform a sequence of three sets of three kowtows—stand up and kneel down again between each set—as an extreme gesture of respect; hence the term three kneelings and nine head knockings ( 三跪九叩之禮 [ zh] ). Also, some Buddhist pilgrims would kowtow once for every three steps made during their long journeys, the number three referring to the Triple Gem of Buddhism, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Prostration is widely practiced in India by Hindus to give utmost respect to their deities in temples and to parents and elders. Nowadays in modern times people show the regards to elders by bowing down and touching their feet.
What is the highest sign of reverence?
In Sinospheric culture, the kowtow is the highest sign of reverence. It was widely used to show reverence for one's elders, superiors, and especially the Emperor, as well as for religious and cultural objects of worship. In modern times, usage of the kowtow has been reduced.
What does "ke" mean in Chinese?
An alternative Chinese term is ketou; however, the meaning is somewhat altered: kou ( 叩) has the general meaning of knock, whereas ke ( 磕) has the general meaning of "touch upon (a surface)", tou ( 頭) meaning head . The date of this custom's origin is probably sometime between the Spring and Autumn period, or the Warring States period of China's history because it was a custom by the time of the Qin dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC).
What is the act of deep respect shown by prostration?
For the village in Burkina Faso, see Kotou, Burkina Faso. Kowtow, which is borrowed from kau tau in Cantonese Chinese ( koutou in Mandarin), is the act of deep respect shown by prostration, that is, kneeling and bowing so low as to have one's head touching the ground.
Why is bowing important?
Because the body is placed in a low position in the kowtow, the idea is that one will naturally convert to his or her mind a feeling of respect. What one does to oneself influences the mind. Confucian philosophy held that respect was important for a society, making bowing an important ritual.
Is the kowtow still used?
The kowtow, and other traditional forms of reverence, were much maligned after the May Fourth Movement. Today , only vestiges of the traditional usage of the kowtow remain. In many situations, the standing bow has replaced the kowtow.
What does it mean when someone kowtows to someone else?
If you say that someone kowtows to someone else, you are criticizing them because they are too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority . See how stupidly they kow-tow to persons higher in the hierarchy. [VERB + to] COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
What does "kowtow" mean?
kowtow in American English. (ˈkaʊˌtaʊ ) noun. 1. the act of kneeling and touching the ground with the forehead to show great deference, submissive respect, homage, etc., as formerly in China. verb intransitive. 2. to perform a kowtow. 3.
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