Prostration (noun)

The act of lying face down on the ground as a sign of deep respect or submission.

Origin:

Late middle english: from latin prostratio(n-), from prosternere "stretch out face downwards", from pro- "before" + sternere "strew, stretch out".

Examples:

1. The king was greeted by a sea of prostrations from his subjects as he entered the palace.
2. The religious ceremony involved a period of prostration, where the worshippers would kneel and bow their heads in humility.
3. The athletes performed a prostration as a sign of respect before they began their competition.
4. He was so overcome with emotion that he fell to the ground in a prostration.
5. She was required to make a prostration before the altar as part of the initiation ritual.