Final answer:
The action of bending the body in reverence is described by the verb 'bow'. 'Bow' is the correct answer for the query, not 'stern', 'hull', or 'mast', which are parts of a ship.
Step-by-step explanation:
To bend the body in reverence is described by the word bow, which is a verb that means to bend forward at the waist in respect or greeting. Option a) Bow is the correct answer. The other terms such as stern, hull, and mast are related to parts of a ship, not actions of reverence. The word stern refers to the back part of a ship, the hull is the main body of a ship, and a mast is a tall vertical structure on a ship that holds the sails.