Associations to the word «Kowtow»

Wiktionary

KOWTOW, verb. (intransitive) To kneel and bow low enough to touch one’s forehead to the ground.
KOWTOW, verb. (intransitive) To bow very deeply.
KOWTOW, verb. (intransitive) (figuratively) To act in a very submissive manner.
KOWTOW, noun. The act of kowtowing.

Dictionary definition

KOWTOW, noun. A former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission.
KOWTOW, verb. Bend the knees and bow in a servile manner.
KOWTOW, verb. Try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; "He is always kowtowing to his boss".

Wise words

Life has no meaning unless one lives it with a will, at least to the limit of one's will. Virtue, good, evil are nothing but words, unless one takes them apart in order to build something with them; they do not win their true meaning until one knows how to apply them.
Paul Gauguin