bowstring

American  

[boh-string] / ˈboʊˌstrɪŋ /

noun

1. the string of an archer's bow.

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

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

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verb (used with object)

bowstringed, bowstrung, bowstringing

1. to strangle with a bowstring or any string or band.

bowstring British  

/ ˈbəʊˌstrɪŋ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of bowstring

First recorded in 1350–1400, bowstring is from Middle English bowe streng. See bow ², string

Example Sentences

Handle feelings at such length and at such bowstring pitch and they tend to go fetid.

From New York Times

“The pipeline has essentially been pulled like a bowstring,” said Willsher, describing some force that had pulled the pipe about 105 feet in an almost “semicircle.”

From Los Angeles Times

“The pipeline has essentially been pulled like a bowstring,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Even the concrete steps behind him sag a little, like bowstrings, as if to suggest that the precarious energy of human life enlivens the very ground we stand on.

From New York Times

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