Words / O / General

obeisance

noun/əʊˈbeɪs(ə)ns/

C2CEFR level
85/100Rarity: very rare
FormalRegister

A gesture of deferential respect, such as a bow or curtsy.

The courtiers made deep obeisance as the queen passed.

Similar: bow, homage, deference

Origin: From Old French 'obeissance', obedience.

Topic: respectful gesture in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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