bowstring

[ boh-string ]

/ ˈboʊˌstrɪŋ /

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noun

the string of an archer's bow.

a string, typically of horsehair, for the bow of an instrument of the violin and viol families.

(especially in the Ottoman Empire) a similar string for killing people by strangulation.

verb (used with object), bow·stringed or bow·strung, bow·string·ing.

to strangle with a bowstring or any string or band.

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Origin of bowstring

First recorded in 1350–1400, bowstring is from Middle English bowe streng. See bow², string

Words nearby bowstring

bowshot, bowsie, bowsprit, Bow Street, Bow Street runner, bowstring, bowstring hemp, bowstring truss, bowtel, bow thruster, bow tie

How to use bowstring in a sentence

Those who assisted him in his reforms, he rewarded with the bowstring.
The Continental Monthly, Vol 3 No 3, March 1863|Various
"You used to draw that bowstring to your ear," said Daly, sternly, as he pointed to a Swiss bow of portentous size.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. II (of II)|Charles James Lever
All night long he pursued his way, his muscles playing tirelessly to the demands of a mind as taut as bowstring.
The Way of an Indian|Frederic Remington
They would have served his purpose, and might be cast aside like a frayed bowstring or the shaft of a broken spear.
Sarchedon|G. J. (George John) Whyte-Melville

A suitable piece of wood was procured, and one of the bears sacrificed himself to provide gut for a bowstring.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence

British Dictionary definitions for bowstring

bowstring

/ (ˈbəʊˌstrɪŋ) /

noun

the string of an archer's bow, usually consisting of three strands of hemp

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012