What does "downbow" mean?

A note performed on a string instrument by drawing the bow downward or to the right across the instrument, moving its point of contact from the frog toward the tip of the bow.

Downbow

//ˈdaʊnbəʊ// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A note performed on a string instrument by drawing the bow downward or to the right across the instrument, moving its point of contact from the frog toward the tip of the bow.

Verb

1
To curve or arc downwards.
"Slumps and sediment gravity flow could signify steepening of the slope resulting from tectonic downbowing of the continental margin."

Example

More examples

"Slumps and sediment gravity flow could signify steepening of the slope resulting from tectonic downbowing of the continental margin."

Etymology

From down + bow.

Related phrases

string instrument

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.