curt ‧ sy BrE AmE , curtsey /ˈkɜːtsi $ ˈkɜːr-/ verb ( past tense and past participle curtsied , present participle curtsying , third person singular curtsies ) [intransitive]
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: courtesy ]
if a woman curtsies, she bends her knees with one foot in front of the other as a sign of respect for an important person ⇨ bow
—curtsy noun [countable]