kow-tow
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kow´|tow´er — kow|tow «KOW TOW», verb, noun. –v.i. 1. to kneel and touch the ground with the forehead to show deep respect, submission, or worship. 2. to show slavish respect and obedience: »He doesn t kowtow to win favor (Newsweek). –n. the act of kowtowing.… … Useful english dictionary
kow|tow — «KOW TOW», verb, noun. –v.i. 1. to kneel and touch the ground with the forehead to show deep respect, submission, or worship. 2. to show slavish respect and obedience: »He doesn t kowtow to win favor (Newsweek). –n. the act of kowtowing.… … Useful english dictionary
kow·tow — … Useful english dictionary
kow-tow — … Useful english dictionary
kow — cra·kow; han·kow; kal·kow·skite; nip·kow; ying·kow; kow·tow; … English syllables
tow — bul·tow; ling·tow; tow·abil·i·ty; tow·able; tow·age; tow·an; tow; tow·er·ing·ly; tow·er·man; tow·ery; tow·hee; tow·ie; tow·man; tow·mond; tow·ser; TOW; kow·tow; swa·tow; tow·er; tow·mont; … English syllables
kowtow — kow·tow … English syllables
kowtow — kow•tow [[t]ˈkaʊˈtaʊ, ˌtaʊ, ˈkoʊ [/t]] v. i. 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 3) the act of… … From formal English to slang
kowtow — kow|tow [ˌkauˈtau] v [i]informal [Date: 1800 1900; : Chinese; Origin: ke tou to hit your head ; because when you bow very low you hit your head on the floor] to be too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority kowtow to ▪ We will not… … Dictionary of contemporary English
kowtow — kow|tow [ kau tau, kau,tau ] verb intransitive to try very hard to please someone, in a way that other people find annoying: He was a proud man who kowtowed to nobody … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English