curtsey
Knee-bending greeting
A curtsey is a formal gesture of respect made by bending the knees and lowering the body, traditionally performed by women and girls.
It's the feminine counterpart to the bow, used when greeting royalty or in formal ceremonies: She curtsied before the queen.
The verb and noun share the spelling, with curtsy as a common variant.
Respectful forward inclination
- genuflectBend knee reverently
- dipBrief immersion or condiment
- bobShort vertical movement
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
obeisance · salutation · greeting · acknowledgment · kneel · bend · nod · kowtow
Regard with honor
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- reverenceProfound admiring respect
- submissionYielding to another's will
obeisance · subservience · humility · subordination · obedience · meekness · acknowledgment · homage
Titled ruling class
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- royaltyPayment for usage rights
- ballroomVenue for formal dances
- monarchHereditary supreme ruler
queen · duchess · debutante · palace · throne · court · sovereign · highness
Prescribed conduct rules
- decorumFitting social conduct
- proprietyCorrectness of conduct
- mannersCustoms of polite conduct
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
ceremony · convention · comportment · civility · discretion · graciousness · formality · social graces
Effortless beauty of motion
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- refinementElegance of manner
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
- dignityInnate personal worth
charm · finesse · polish · delicacy · cultivation · flair · deportment · composure
bow
Respectful forward inclination
reverence · obeisance · salutation · greeting · acknowledgment · kneel · bend · nod · kowtow · salaam
respect
Regard with honor
submission · obeisance · subservience · humility · subordination · obedience · meekness · acknowledgment · homage · tribute
nobility
Titled ruling class
- aristocracyRule by hereditary elite
- royaltyPayment for usage rights
- ballroomVenue for formal dances
monarch · queen · duchess · debutante · palace · throne · court · sovereign · highness · ladyship
protocol
Prescribed conduct rules
politeness · ceremony · convention · comportment · civility · discretion · graciousness · formality · social graces · finishing school
grace
Effortless beauty of motion
- poiseGraceful, unshakable calm
- refinementElegance of manner
- sophisticationCultured elegance and complexity
dignity · charm · finesse · polish · delicacy · cultivation · flair · deportment · composure · ladylike
curtseybow
Respectful forward inclination
genuflection · salute · tip of the hat · kowtow · salaam
curtsy, curtsies, curtsied, curtseys, curtsying, curtseyed, curtseying