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What does kowtow mean?
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to show respect by going down into a position where your knees are on the floor and then bending your body forward so that your head touches the ground, in a way used especially in the past in China : As part of the wedding ceremony, we kowtowed to my parents and to my fiancé's parents.
- Kowtow
KOWTOW meaning: 1. to show respect by going down into a...
- Kowtow
A kowtow / ˈ k aʊ t aʊ / (simplified Chinese: 叩头; traditional Chinese: 叩頭) 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.
verb (used without object) 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.
Kowtow, which describes the act of kneeling and touching one’s head to the ground to show respect, used to be a custom in Chinese culture. Now it refers to acting like you're doing that, whether you actually bow or not.
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. to show servile respect (to) Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition.
Definitions of 'kowtow' 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. [ informal , disapproval ] [...]
kowtow (to somebody/something) to show somebody in authority too much respect and be too willing to obey them. Her pride wouldn’t allow her to kowtow to anyone.
