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# kowtow

verb (kowtow, kowtows, kowtowed, kowtowing); noun (a kowtow)

«kowtow» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To kowtow is to kneel and touch the ground with your forehead to show deep respect, as people once did before the Emperor of China. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#m1)
2. (informal) To kowtow to someone is to obey them too much and try too hard to please them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#m2)
3. A kowtow is this deep kneeling bow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history about imperial China it is a real bow; in everyday talk it is a criticism: someone «kowtows to» the boss, the bully or the rich, so the reader learns that person is not standing up for themselves. Phrase: kowtow to someone.

### Examples

- Visitors had to kowtow before the emperor. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x1)
- A British ambassador refused to kowtow in 1793. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x2)
- He kowtows to the team captain all the time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x3)
- Don't kowtow to bullies; tell a teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x4)
- The servant made a low kowtow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x5)
- I won't kowtow just because she is popular. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x6)
- The king expected everyone to kowtow to him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/#x7)

### Note

Comes from Chinese «kētóu», meaning «knock head». Past: kowtowed. In the second sense it is negative and a little rude about the person who kowtows. Usually followed by «to».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «kowtow» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/kowtow/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«kowtow» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/kowtow.html) on Mova free.