a formal movement made by a woman in a dance or to say hello or goodbye to an important person, by bending her knees with one foot in front of the other (女子行的)屈膝礼 Word Originearly 16th cent.: variant of courtesy. Both forms were used to denote the expression of respect or courtesy by a gesture, especially in phrases such as do courtesy, make courtesy, and from this arose the current use (late 16th cent.).