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Bow vs. Stern — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on May 27, 2024
The bow is the front end of a ship or boat, while the stern is the rear end.
Bow vs. Stern — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Bow and Stern

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Key Differences

The bow is the forward part of a ship, pointed to reduce water resistance and typically where the vessel is first to meet the waves. It's often characterized by its distinctive shape, which can include a bulbous bow beneath the waterline to improve flow and efficiency. Conversely, the stern refers to the back part of a ship or boat. It's the last part to pass through the water and can vary in design, with features like flat transoms or rounded aft sections, depending on the vessel’s purpose and the waters it traverses.
In terms of construction and navigation, the bow of a ship is designed to cut through the water and often includes equipment like anchors and bowsprits, while the stern typically houses the steering equipment, such as the rudder, and often the propulsion machinery, like engines and propellers.
Navigationally, mariners refer to the bow when discussing anything forward of the ship's midpoint, using terms like "forward" or "ahead." In contrast, when they refer to the stern, they use terms such as "aft," "astern," or "back."
Culturally, the bow is synonymous with the 'face' of the vessel, often where figureheads or nameplates are displayed, while the stern has traditionally been the site for a ship’s name and port of registry, serving as the ship’s identification from behind.

Comparison Chart

Location on Vessel

Front end
Rear end
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Functional Features

Houses anchors, bowsprits
Contains the rudder, propulsion machinery

Navigational Terms

Forward, ahead
Aft, astern, back

Design Purpose

Designed to cut through water
Designed to follow the water’s flow, accommodate steering

Cultural Significance

Often displays figureheads or nameplates
Traditional location for ship's name and home port

Compare with Definitions

Bow

Front of a ship
The captain stood at the bow, watching the horizon.

Stern

Harsh, grave
His stern expression softened when he laughed.

Bow

A type of knot
She tied a bow in the ribbon.

Stern

The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship.

Bow

A weapon for shooting arrows
She drew her bow and aimed at the target.

Stern

Hard, harsh, or severe in manner or character
A stern disciplinarian.

Bow

A curved musical instrument accessory
The violinist rosined her bow before the concert.

Stern

Showing or expressing displeasure or disapproval; forbidding or harsh
A stern face.
A stern voice.

Bow

A knot tied with two loops and two loose ends, used especially for tying shoelaces and decorative ribbons
A girl with long hair tied back in a bow

Stern

Firm or unyielding; uncompromising
Stern resistance.

Bow

A weapon for shooting arrows, typically made of a curved piece of wood joined at both ends by a taut string.

Stern

Difficult to endure; oppressive
Stern necessity.

Bow

A long, partially curved rod with horsehair stretched along its length, used for playing the violin and other stringed instruments.

Stern

(Nautical) The rear part of a ship or boat.

Bow

A curved stroke forming part of a letter (e.g. b, p).

Stern

A rear part or section.

Bow

A metal ring forming the handle of a key or pair of scissors.

Stern

Having a hardness and severity of nature or manner.

Bow

An act of bending the head or upper body as a sign of respect or greeting
The man gave a little bow

Stern

Grim and forbidding in appearance.

Bow

The front end of a ship
Water sprayed high over her bows

Stern

(nautical) The rear part or after end of a ship or vessel.

Bow

Play (a stringed instrument or music) using a bow
The techniques by which the pieces were bowed

Stern

(figurative) The post of management or direction.

Bow

Bend the head or upper part of the body as a sign of respect, greeting, or shame
He turned and bowed to his father
She knelt and bowed her head
Councillors stood with heads bowed

Stern

The hinder part of anything.

Bow

Bend with age or under pressure
The creepers were bowed down with flowers
The roof trusses bowed as the wind fought to rip the roof free

Stern

The tail of an animal; now used only of the tail of a dog.

Bow

(of a new film or product) be premiered or launched
The trailer bowed in theaters nationwide on December 23
The Pentium III bowed in early 1999

Stern

A bird, the black tern.

Bow

The front section of a ship or boat.

Stern

To steer, to direct the course of (a ship).

Bow

Either of the sides of this front section
The starboard bow.

Stern

To propel or move backward or stern-first in the water.

Bow

The oar or the person wielding the oar closest to the bow in a racing shell.

Stern

The black tern.

Bow

An inclination of the head or body, as in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.

Stern

The helm or tiller of a vessel or boat; also, the rudder.

Bow

A bent, curved, or arched object.

Stern

The after or rear end of a ship or other vessel, or of a boat; the part opposite to the stem, or prow.

Bow

A weapon consisting of a curved, flexible strip of material, especially wood, strung taut from end to end and used to launch arrows.

Stern

Fig.: The post of management or direction.
And sit chiefest stern of public weal.

Bow

An archer.

Stern

The hinder part of anything.

Bow

Archers considered as a group.

Stern

The tail of an animal; - now used only of the tail of a dog.

Bow

(Music) A rod having horsehair drawn tightly between its two raised ends, used in playing instruments of the violin and viol families.

Stern

Having a certain hardness or severity of nature, manner, or aspect; hard; severe; rigid; rigorous; austere; fixed; unchanging; unrelenting; hence, serious; resolute; harsh; as, a sternresolve; a stern necessity; a stern heart; a stern gaze; a stern decree.
The sterne wind so loud gan to rout.
I would outstare the sternest eyes that look.
When that the poor have cried, Cæsar hath wept;Ambition should be made of sterner stuff.
Stern as tutors, and as uncles hard.
These barren rocks, your stern inheritance.

Bow

A stroke made by this rod.

Stern

Being in the stern, or being astern; as, the stern davits.

Bow

A knot usually having two loops and two ends; a bowknot.

Stern

The rear part of a ship

Bow

A frame for the lenses of a pair of eyeglasses.

Stern

United States concert violinist (born in Russia in 1920)

Bow

The part of such a frame passing over the ear.

Stern

The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?

Bow

A rainbow.

Stern

Of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect;
An austere expression
A stern face

Bow

An oxbow.

Stern

Not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty;
Grim determination
Grim necessity
Russia's final hour, it seemed, approached with inexorable certainty
Relentless persecution
The stern demands of parenthood

Bow

To bend or curve downward; stoop.

Stern

Severe and unremitting in making demands;
An exacting instructor
A stern disciplinarian
Strict standards

Bow

To incline the body or head or bend the knee in greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.

Stern

Back of a ship
The fishing nets were dragged from the stern.

Bow

To yield in defeat or out of courtesy; submit.

Stern

Severe or strict
The teacher had a stern way of speaking.

Bow

To bend (the head, knee, or body) to express greeting, consent, courtesy, acknowledgment, submission, or veneration.

Stern

Unyielding or firm
She gave a stern refusal to the offer.

Bow

To convey (greeting, for example) by bending the body.

Stern

The end part of something
We reached the stern of the trail and turned back.

Bow

To escort deferentially
Bowed us into the restaurant.

Bow

To cause to acquiesce; submit.

Bow

To overburden
Grief bowed them down.

Bow

To bend (something) into the shape of a bow.

Bow

(Music) To play (a stringed instrument) with a bow.

Bow

To bend into a curve or bow.

Bow

(Music) To play a stringed instrument with a bow.

Bow

A weapon made of a curved piece of wood or other flexible material whose ends are connected by a string, used for shooting arrows.

Bow

A curved bend in a rod or planar surface, or in a linear formation such as a river (see oxbow).

Bow

A rod with horsehair (or an artificial substitute) stretched between the ends, used for playing various stringed musical instruments.

Bow

A stringed instrument (chordophone), consisting of a stick with a single taut cord stretched between the ends, most often played by plucking.

Bow

A type of knot with two loops, used to tie together two cords such as shoelaces or apron strings, and frequently used as decoration, such as in gift-wrapping.

Bow

Anything bent or curved, such as a rainbow.

Bow

The U-shaped piece which goes around the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.

Bow

Either of the arms of a pair of spectacles, running from the side of the lens to behind the wearer's ear.

Bow

Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.

Bow

(nautical) A crude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.

Bow

(saddlery) Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.

Bow

The part of a key that is not inserted into the lock and that is used to turn the key.

Bow

A gesture, usually showing respect, made by inclining the head or bending forward at the waist; a reverence
He made a polite bow as he entered the room.

Bow

(nautical) The front of a boat or ship.

Bow

(rowing) The rower that sits in the seat closest to the bow of the boat.

Bow

Obsolete spelling of bough

Bow

C|en|Foods}} {{alternative form of bao; any of several Chinese buns and breads

Bow

To play music on (a stringed) instrument using a bow.
The musician bowed his violin expertly.

Bow

(intransitive) To become bent or curved.
The shelf bowed under the weight of the books.

Bow

(transitive) To make something bend or curve.

Bow

To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.

Bow

(intransitive) To bend oneself as a gesture of respect or deference.
That singer always bows towards her audience for some reason.

Bow

To debut.

Bow

(intransitive) To defer (to something).
I bow to your better judgement in the matter.

Bow

(transitive) To give a direction, indication, or command to by bowing.

Bow

To cause to deviate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved.
We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness.
The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny.

Bow

To exercise powerful or controlling influence over; to bend, figuratively; to turn; to incline.
Adversities do more bow men's minds to religion.
Not to bow and bias their opinions.

Bow

To bend or incline, as the head or body, in token of respect, gratitude, assent, homage, or condescension.
They came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

Bow

To cause to bend down; to prostrate; to depress,; to crush; to subdue.
Whose heavy hand hath bowed you to the grave.

Bow

To express by bowing; as, to bow one's thanks.

Bow

To bend; to curve.

Bow

To stop.
They stoop, they bow down together.

Bow

To bend the head, knee, or body, in token of reverence or submission; - often with down.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker.

Bow

To incline the head in token of salutation, civility, or assent; to make bow.
Admired, adored by all circling crowd,For wheresoe'er she turned her face, they bowed.

Bow

To play (music) with a bow.

Bow

An inclination of the head, or a bending of the body, in token of reverence, respect, civility, or submission; an obeisance; as, a bow of deep humility.

Bow

Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow.
I do set my bow in the cloud.

Bow

A weapon made of a strip of wood, or other elastic material, with a cord connecting the two ends, by means of which an arrow is propelled.

Bow

An ornamental knot, with projecting loops, formed by doubling a ribbon or string.

Bow

The U-shaped piece which embraces the neck of an ox and fastens it to the yoke.

Bow

An appliance consisting of an elastic rod, with a number of horse hairs stretched from end to end of it, used in playing on a stringed instrument.

Bow

An arcograph.

Bow

Any instrument consisting of an elastic rod, with ends connected by a string, employed for giving reciprocating motion to a drill, or for preparing and arranging the hair, fur, etc., used by hatters.

Bow

A rude sort of quadrant formerly used for taking the sun's altitude at sea.

Bow

Two pieces of wood which form the arched forward part of a saddletree.

Bow

The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow.

Bow

One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.

Bow

A knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces

Bow

A slightly curved piece of resilient wood with taut horsehair strands, used in playing certain stringed instrument

Bow

Front part of a vessel or aircraft;
He pointed the bow of the boat toward the finish line

Bow

Curved piece of resilient wood with taut cord to propel arrows

Bow

Something curved in shape

Bow

Bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame

Bow

An appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience

Bow

A decorative interlacing of ribbons

Bow

A stroke with a curved piece of wood with taut horsehair strands that is used in playing stringed instruments

Bow

Bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head;
He bowed before the King
She bowed her head in shame

Bow

Submit or yield to another's wish or opinion;
The government bowed to the military pressure

Bow

Bend the head or the upper part of the body in a gesture of respect or greeting;
He bowed before the King

Bow

Bend one's back forward from the waist on down;
He crouched down
She bowed before the Queen
The young man stooped to pick up the girl's purse

Bow

Play on a string instrument

Bow

A gesture of respect
He gave a bow after his performance.

Common Curiosities

Is the bow always pointed?

Yes, the bow is typically pointed to aid in water navigation.

Does the shape of the bow affect speed?

Yes, the bow shape can impact water resistance and thus speed.

Is the term "stern" ever used metaphorically?

Yes, "stern" can describe a person's strict demeanor.

What is a "stern chase"?

A naval term for a pursuit from behind.

Are bows only found on ships?

No, bows are also parts of bows for archery and accessories for musical instruments.

Can "bow" also mean to bend forward?

Yes, it can indicate a gesture of respect or acknowledgment.

Do modern vessels still use figureheads at the bow?

It's rare, as figureheads are mostly historical.

Are bows used in formal greetings?

Yes, especially in cultures where bowing is a traditional greeting.

Can the stern be flat?

Yes, many ships have a flat transom stern.

What is a sternpost?

It's a structural beam at the stern end of a ship.

What's a bowline?

It's a type of knot that forms a fixed loop.

Does the stern include the ship's deck?

The stern includes the back part of the deck.

Are there different types of bows on ships?

Yes, including bulbous, raked, and clipper bows.

Is the stern considered safer in a collision?

Not necessarily; it depends on the nature of the collision.

How is "sternway" different from "stern"?

"Sternway" refers to a ship moving backward.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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