kowtow

verb /ˈkaʊˌtaʊ/

1. To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.

   historical, intransitive

   When the weather turned cold, the tears that he shed would become frozen like veins; the blood on his forehead from kowtowing would also freeze and would not drip.

2. To grovel, act in a very submissive manner; to show obeisance to (someone or something) in such a manner; to bow.

   figuratively, intransitive

   I suppose you're going to be nice to Odie and kowtow to Jon and lick the mailman's boots! I don't like you already.

3. To bow very deeply.

   intransitive

Where it comes from

From either Cantonese 叩頭 /叩头 (kau³ tau⁴) or Mandarin 叩頭 /叩头 (kòutóu). Literally, “knock head”.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry kowtow (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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