Curtsy

A curtsy (also spelled curtsey or incorrectly as courtsey) is a traditional gendered gesture of greeting, in which a girl or woman bends her knees while bowing her head. In Western culture it is the feminine equivalent of bowing by males, and people will commonly curtsy in some churches as a simplified genuflection.

By the 17th and 18th centuries, it had become a standard social custom for women when greeting superiors, royalty, nobility, aristocracy or elders in the Western World.

The word "curtsy" is a phonological change from "courtesy" known in linguistics as syncope.

In more formal variants of the curtsy, the girl/woman bends the knees outward (rather than straight ahead), often sweeping one foot behind her. She may also use her hands to hold her skirt out from her body. It is also acceptable in some cultures for the female to curtsy if wearing trousers or shorts.