abaisance
n. C / Un. a physical movement, like a bow or a curtsy, that shows you have great respect for someone. It is an old-fashioned way to describe being very polite to a powerful person.
n. a physical gesture of deep respect or deference, such as a bow or curtsy. Often used in literary or historical contexts to describe formal submission to authority.
He made a low abaisance before the queen.
The messenger entered the throne room and performed a deep abaisance before delivering the urgent news to the king.
In the rigid hierarchy of the imperial court, even the smallest failure to perform a proper abaisance was viewed as a grave insult to the crown.
From Middle English abeisans, from Old French abaissance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Often used with the verbs 'make', 'do', or 'perform'. An archaic spelling variant of 'obeisance', though still found in historical literature.
Last updated May 2, 2026