Other forms: bowed; bows; bowing
If you want to practice your archery, you'll need some arrows and a bow — a curved piece of wood (or other material), with a cord stretched between the ends that is used to launch the arrows.
The bow of a stringed instrument (like a violin or cello) was originally shaped like an archer's bow used in archery and thus shares the same name. When you move the bow across the strings, you're bowing. Sometimes violinists bow and sometimes they pluck the strings.