CURTSY

I. noun also curtsey (plural curtsies; also curtseys) Date: 1533 an act of civility, respect, or reverence made mainly by women and consisting of a slight lowering of the body with bending of the knees, II. intransitive verb also curtsey (curtsied; also curtseyed; ~ing; also curtseying) Etymology: alteration of courtesy Date: circa 1553 to make a ~