Bow vs. Truckle: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on September 27, 2023
Bow and Truckle are distinct words; while "bow" commonly refers to a curved weapon for shooting arrows, "truckle" means a small wheel or roller, especially one under a piece of furniture.
Key Differences
Bow is a multifaceted word in the English language. It can refer to a weapon used to shoot arrows, a curved object, or even a gesture of bending forward as a sign of respect. Truckle, on the other hand, is primarily associated with small wheels, especially those found under furniture.
In a different context, "bow" can refer to the front section of a ship. This is the portion of the ship that first meets the oncoming water. Truckle doesn't have a nautical connotation; it remains rooted in its definition related to rollers or wheels.
Musically, a "bow" is a rod with hair attached to it, used to play stringed instruments like violins. In contrast, "truckle" has no musical meaning in this context, preserving its primary definition concerning wheels.
Another definition of "bow" is the act of bending forward, especially at the waist, as a gesture of respect or greeting. Truckle can also refer to a submissive behavior, but in the sense of being subservient or deferential to someone, often excessively so.
A bow can also describe the curved appearance of something, like the "bow of a rainbow." Meanwhile, truckle doesn’t have a description that relates to appearance or shape, except when referencing the roundness of its wheel or roller definition.
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Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
A weapon for shooting arrows.
A small wheel or roller.
Related to Music
A rod with hair for playing stringed instruments.
No musical connotation.
Associated Gesture
Bending forward as a sign of respect.
Subservient behavior or deference.
Physical Shape
Can describe a curved appearance.
Describes the roundness of a wheel.
Nautical Reference
Front section of a ship.
No nautical association.
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Bow and Truckle Definitions
Bow
The front section of a ship.
The bow of the ship sliced through the waves.
Truckle
Submissive behavior or acting in a servile manner.
He refused to truckle to the demands of the tyrant.
Bow
A curved appearance or form.
She tied her shoes with a perfect bow.
Truckle
A low bed on wheels that can be stored under a larger bed.
The guest room had a truckle for extra guests.
Bow
The front section of a ship or boat.
Truckle
A cylindrical shape of cheese.
We bought a truckle of cheddar from the local dairy.
Bow
Either of the sides of this front section
The starboard bow.
Truckle
Describes the round shape related to wheels or rollers.
The truckle was perfectly round, allowing for smooth movement.
Bow
The oar or the person wielding the oar closest to the bow in a racing shell.
Truckle
A small wheel or roller; a caster.
Bow
An inclination of the head or body, as in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Truckle
To be servile or submissive. ]
Bow
A bent, curved, or arched object.
Truckle
A small wheel; a caster or pulley.
Bow
A weapon consisting of a curved, flexible strip of material, especially wood, strung taut from end to end and used to launch arrows.
Truckle
A small wheel of cheese.
Bow
An archer.
Truckle
Ellipsis of truckle bed.
Bow
Archers considered as a group.
Truckle
To roll or move upon truckles, or casters; to trundle.
Bow
(Music) A rod having horsehair drawn tightly between its two raised ends, used in playing instruments of the violin and viol families.
Truckle
(intransitive) To sleep in a truckle bed.
Bow
A stroke made by this rod.
Truckle
(intransitive) To act in a submissive manner; to fawn, submit to a superior.
Bow
A knot usually having two loops and two ends; a bowknot.
Truckle
A small wheel or caster.
Bow
A frame for the lenses of a pair of eyeglasses.
Truckle
To yield or bend obsequiously to the will of another; to submit; to creep.
Religion itself is forced to truckle to worldly poliey.
Bow
The part of such a frame passing over the ear.
Truckle
To roll or move upon truckles, or casters; to trundle.
Bow
A rainbow.
Truckle
A low bed to be slid under a higher bed
Bow
An oxbow.
Truckle
Yield to out of weakness
Bow
To bend or curve downward; stoop.
Truckle
Try to gain favor by cringing or flattering;
He is always kowtowing to his boss
Bow
To incline the body or head or bend the knee in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To yield in defeat or out of courtesy; submit.
Bow
To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.
Bow
To convey (greeting, for example) by bending the body.
Bow
To escort deferentially
Bowed us into the restaurant.
Bow
To cause to acquiesce; submit.
Bow
To overburden
Grief bowed them down.
Bow
To bend (something) into the shape of a bow.
Bow
(Music) To play (a stringed instrument) with a bow.
Bow
To bend into a curve or bow.
Bow
(Music) To play a stringed instrument with a bow.
Bow
A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.
Bow
A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).
Bow
A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.
Bow
A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.
Bow
A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.
Bow
Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.
Bow
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
Bow
(nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
(saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.
Bow
A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence
He made a polite bow as he entered the room.
Bow
(nautical) The front of a boat or ship.
Bow
(rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.
Bow
Obsolete spelling of bough
Bow
C|en|Foods}} {{alternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads
Bow
To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
The musician bowed his violin expertly.
Bow
(intransitive) To become bent or curved.
The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.
Bow
(transitive) To make something bend or curve.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Bow
(intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.
Bow
To debut.
Bow
(intransitive) To defer (to something).
I bow to your better judgement in the matter.
Bow
(transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.
Bow
To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.
Bow
To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
Not to bow and bias their opinions.
Bow
To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.
Bow
To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; to crush; to subdue.
Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.
Bow
To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.
Bow
To bend; to curve.
Bow
To stop.
They stoop, they bow down together.
Bow
To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; - often with down.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.
Bow
To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
Admired, adored by all circling crowd,For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed.
Bow
To play (music) with a bow.
Bow
An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.
Bow
Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
I do set my bow in the cloud.
Bow
A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.
Bow
An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.
Bow
The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.
Bow
An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.
Bow
An arcograph.
Bow
Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.
Bow
A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.
Bow
Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.
Bow
The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.
Bow
One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.
Bow
A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
Bow
A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument
Bow
Front part of a vessel or aircraft;
He pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line
Bow
Curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows
Bow
Something curved in shape
Bow
Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame
Bow
An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience
Bow
A decorative interlacing of ribbons
Bow
A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments
Bow
Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head;
He bowed before the King
She bowed her head in shame
Bow
Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure
Bow
Bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting;
He bowed before the King
Bow
Bend one's back forward from the waist on down;
He crouched down
She bowed before the Queen
The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse
Bow
Play on a string instrument
Bow
A curved instrument used to shoot arrows.
She practiced archery with her new bow.
Bow
A rod with hair, used to play stringed instruments.
He rosined his bow before playing the violin.
Bow
Bending forward as a sign of respect.
He took a bow after his performance.
FAQs
Is there a musical reference for Bow?
Yes, it's a rod with hair used to play stringed instruments.
What is the most common meaning of Bow?
A curved instrument for shooting arrows.
Can "Bow" refer to a gesture?
Yes, it means bending forward as a sign of respect or greeting.
Does "Truckle" have a musical connotation?
No, it primarily refers to wheels or submissive behavior.
How is "Bow" related to ships?
It refers to the front section of a ship.
What's a Truckle in the context of dairy products?
It refers to a cylindrical shape of cheese.
What behavior does "Truckle" describe?
It describes submissive or excessively deferential behavior.
Can Bow mean the act of tying something?
Yes, like tying a shoelace into a bow.
What is a Truckle in relation to furniture?
It's a small wheel or roller, often found under furniture.
What is a Truckle bed?
A low bed on wheels stored under a larger bed.
Is there a nautical meaning for Truckle?
No, "truckle" has no nautical associations.
Can "Bow" describe the appearance of something?
Yes, like the curved shape of a rainbow.
Which word, Bow or Truckle, is related to archery?
Bow is related to archery.
Can Truckle mean to yield or submit?
Yes, it can mean to act in a servile manner.
Which word has a broader range of meanings?
Bow has a broader range of meanings compared to Truckle.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
