Bow (watercraft)

The bow is the front part of a ship's or boat's body. It is the part that faces forward when the vessel moves through the water. The opposite end of the boat is called the stern.

Sometimes, the word prow is used to mean the same as bow. But prow can also talk about just the top part of the bow that sits above the water.

Function

The bow of a ship or boat is the front part that moves through the water. Its shape helps the boat move smoothly and stay steady. Different boats have different bow shapes depending on where they travel and what they are used for. For example, boats that go through rough waters might have a special bow design to keep water from splashing over the top. Some bows are built strong to help break through ice. The very front of the bow is called the stem, which can be straight or curved, depending on the type of boat.

Types

Some common types of bows on boats and ships include:

• Straight-stem bow
• Plumb bow
• Raked bow
• Flared bow
• Clipper bow
• Bulbous bow
• Inverted bow
• Ram bow
• High-chin spoon bow
• Low-chin spoon bow

These different bow shapes help boats move smoothly through the water in various conditions.

Etymology

The word "bow" comes from an old language called Middle Dutch, where it was spelled boech (and now is boeg). Even though "bow" sounds like "bough" — which comes from Old English and means the branch of a tree — in ships, these words have different histories. The word "bow" for ships wasn't used in English until after the year 1600.

Prow

The "prow" is the top part of a ship's bow that rises above the water. People often use "prow" and "bow" to mean the same thing when talking about the front of a ship and the areas around it.

Middle Dutch Old English French Latin