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Deck the Halls: Bow vs. Bough

What does each word mean? The word bow describes a number of different things: a curved piece of wood with taut strands that is used to play stringed instruments a weapon for shooting arrows the front of a ship a type of knot formed with loops the act of bending the head, body, or knee either in reverence or at the end of a performance the act of yielding to someone else’s wishes. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is this bow used in some example sentences: The violinist had a lucky bow. She was known for her skill with a bow and arrow. The bow of a ship is designed to reduce the resistance of the hull cutting...

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Rainbow Etymology

The recent wonderful rainbows have made us wonder – where do we get our names for the colours from? The word ‘rainbow’ originates from the Old English ‘renboga’ – ‘regn’ meaning ‘rain’ and ‘boga’ meaning ‘bow’. Imagine the arch shape an arrow might make when flying through the air, or the way your body curves when you bow down – both meanings of ‘bow’ descend from the Proto-Germanic ‘bugan’. Another Old English word for rainbow is ‘scurboga’ meaning ‘shower bow’. Like ‘rainbow’, ‘red’ also comes from Proto Germanic roots. The ...

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