bowstring hemp

American

noun

any of various fibrous plants of the genus Sansevieria, of Asia and Africa, having stiff, erect, variegated or mottled leaves, cultivated in the U.S. as an ornamental.

bowstring hemp British

noun

a hemplike fibre obtained from the sansevieria

"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

Etymology

Origin of bowstring hemp

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Also known as the snake plant, St. George’s sword, viper’s bowstring hemp or, for the vengeful among us, mother-in-law’s tongue, the common houseplant has more than enough monikers.

From Los Angeles Times

That stuff is a bundle of bowstring hemp.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023