obeisance

Advancedzipf 2.10

Pronunciation

/əʊˈbeɪsəns/(oh-BAY-sunce)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

鞠躬；恭敬

Definition

A gesture expressing deferential respect, such as a bow; deference or homage.

Word family

  • obeisant/əʊˈbeɪsənt/(adj)恭敬的

Collocations

  • make obeisance
  • pay obeisance
  • deep obeisance
  • obeisance to tradition

Examples

  1. 1.The courtiers made obeisance before the king, bowing deeply at the waist. (respectful bow)
  2. 2.The new policy paid obeisance to tradition while introducing meaningful reforms. (deference)

Synonyms

  • deference/ˈdɛfərəns/— respectful submission
  • homage/ˈhɒmɪdʒ/— respect paid publicly
  • reverence/ˈrɛvərəns/— deep respect

Etymology

from Old French "obeissance" — "obeir" = to obey — from Latin "obedire" = to listen to — a gesture of obedience