from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb intransitive To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.
- verb intransitive To bow very deeply.
- verb intransitive, figuratively To act in a very submissive manner.
- noun The act of kowtowing.
Full Answer
What does kowtow mean in Urban Dictionary?
Kow is slang from the Chinese term " Kowtow " meaning to bow extremely low, forehead to the ground, showing extreme submission. Some people mistakenly write it as "cow" or "cow down". However, cows are animals not particularly obsessed with the domination of others. "Don't let yourself be kowed by peer pressure.
How to use "kowtow" in a sentence?
use "kowtow" in a sentence. Leaders resented the magazine because it would not bow or kowtow. Chinese sources emphasize the submission of kneeling; Tibetan sources emphasize the lack of the kowtow. Tonkinese villagers, for example, were expected to kowtow if a French column passed by. Fairhurst, knotty Ash Brewery, and Higsons and Burtonwood.
Is kowtow an offensive word?
Unsurprisingly, the word acquired a negative connotation in English. In contemporary usage, “kowtow” has shifted to a figurative meaning of acting in a submissive, obsequious manner.
What does the name kowtow mean?
Kowtow, which is borrowed from kau tau in Cantonese (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. 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 ...
What is the meaning of "kowtow"?
What does "kowtow" mean for kids?
Where did the word "kowtow" come from?
What is a kowtow in a sentence?
See more
About this website
What does kowtow mean slang?
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 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. The answer? When you want to worship, show respect, gain favor, or flatter.
Is kowtow a Chinese word?
kowtow, also spelled kotow, Chinese (Pinyin) keitou or (Wade-Giles romanization) k'o-t'ou, in traditional China, the act of supplication made by an inferior to his superior by kneeling and knocking his head to the floor.
What is the opposite of kowtow?
Opposite of act in an excessively subservient manner. ignore. straighten. intimidate. domineer.
Is it cow down or kowtow?
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.
Can you say kowtow?
The word is pronounced 'cow-TOW' with the stress on the second syllable. It is mostly used to show disapproval. When you 'kowtow' to someone in authority, you do everything you can to please him.
Is kowtow Japanese?
The term is used in Japanese politics such as "dogeza-gaikō" (土下座外交) which is translated to "kowtow diplomacy" or "kowtow foreign policy". In general, dogeza is translated into English as "prostration" or "kowtow".
How do you kowtow someone?
3:076:25Chinese Custom: how to KOWTOW ♂️ ♀️ how to BOW - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTao. Other than the kowtow a more casual and common way to greet each other is bowing with handsMoreTao. Other than the kowtow a more casual and common way to greet each other is bowing with hands folded in front the rights of Jo defined three major types of bowing. It follows the same male left
Are the Manchus Chinese?
Manchus form the largest branch of the Tungusic peoples and are distributed throughout China, forming the fourth largest ethnic group in the country. They can be found in 31 Chinese provincial regions. They also form the largest minority group in China without an autonomous region.
What are synonyms for kowtow?
synonyms for kowtowcave in.genuflect.pander.bow.court.cower.cringe.fawn.More items...
What is the synonym of obsequious?
Frequently Asked Questions About obsequious Some common synonyms of obsequious are servile, slavish, and subservient. While all these words mean "showing or characterized by extreme compliance or abject obedience," obsequious implies fawning or sycophantic compliance and exaggerated deference of manner.
How do you use kowtow in a sentence?
Kowtow in a Sentence 🔉The dictator beheaded the man who refused to kowtow to him by kissing his feet.If Jason does not kowtow to the boss, he will never get a promotion at work.My chauvinistic husband divorced me because I would not kowtow to his every whim.More items...
How to pronounce KOWTOW in English
How to pronounce kowtow. How to say kowtow. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Learn more.
Kowtow Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
Kowtow definition, to act in an obsequious manner; show servile deference. See more.
kowtow | Chinese ritual | Britannica
kowtow, also spelled kotow, Chinese (Pinyin) keitou or (Wade-Giles romanization) k’o-t’ou, in traditional China, the act of supplication made by an inferior to his superior by kneeling and knocking his head to the floor. This prostration ceremony was most commonly used in religious worship, by commoners who came to make a request of the local district magistrate, and by officials and ...
When did the word "kowtow" come into use?
The word "kowtow" came into English in the early 19th century to describe the bow itself, but its meaning soon shifted to describe any abject submission or groveling. The term is still commonly used in English with this meaning, disconnected from the physical act and the East Asian context.
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 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".
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 "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.
Who said "kowtow" to a president?
The Labour leader said Prime Minister Theresa May was wrong to " kowtow " to a president who tore up international treaties and used "racist and misogynist rhetoric". Corbyn pulls out of Trump banquet. It is downright pathetic for Malacanang to kowtow to Beijing's wishes all the time,' the party-list lawmaker said.
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 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.
Overview
Diplomacy
The word "kowtow" came into English in the early 19th century to describe the bow itself, but its meaning soon shifted to describe any abject submission or groveling. The term is still commonly used in English with this meaning, disconnected from the physical act and the East Asian context.
Dutch ambassador Isaac Titsingh did not refuse to kowtow during the course of his 1794–1795 mission to the imperial court of the Qianlong Emperor. The members of the Titsingh mission, inc…
Terminology
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 during the Spring and Autumn period or the Warring States period of China's history (771–221 BC), because it was a custom by the time of the Qin dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC).
Traditional usage
In Imperial Chinese protocol, the kowtow was performed before the Emperor of China. Depending on the solemnity of the situation different grades of kowtow would be used. 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 kow…
Modern Chinese usage
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. 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. Direct descendants may also kowtow at the funeral of an ancestor, while others wo…
Religion
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 …
See also
• Chinese social relations
• Culture of China
• Dogeza
• Emoticons for posture
• Finger kowtow: