bowstring

noun

bow·​string ˈbō-ˌstriŋ How to pronounce bowstring (audio)
: a waxed or sized cord joining the ends of a shooting bow

Examples of bowstring in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The father of the siblings, who has recently died, kept a cluttered house, which must be organized for an estate and property sale, and the eldest of them, Toni, played by Paulson as tightly as a twanging bowstring, has fired the company that was meant to help. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023 Apply slight pressure to the bowstring to set your grip into place, and keep your hand relaxed throughout the shot. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 26 Aug. 2022 String the Bow Native Americans traditionally used rawhide or sinew for the bowstring, but nylon parachute cord or fishing line can work for a survival bow fashioned in the field. Keith McCafferty, Field & Stream, 29 June 2023 Step 13: Create your final bowstring using a new length of B-50 bowstring material. Andrew Del-Colle, Popular Mechanics, 16 Aug. 2020 If his pre-prison projects were almost entirely freestyled, these songs are more tightly written, honoring the fallen, indicting the double-talk of the industry, powered by the energy of a bowstring being pulled back for a half-decade. Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2023 For Eric Clem, meditation comes in fitting an arrow against a bowstring, pulling his arm back and seeking a target — in the great outdoors. Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2023 This morning, Case has been shooting practice arrows, pulling the bowstring back little by little, limbering up for the big shot that will occur in the cooler evening. Patrick Cooke, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Nov. 2021 The adaptation that makes archery possible for Rispoli is essentially a piece of nylon material with a bite piece that wraps around a bowstring. Paul Eisenberg, chicagotribune.com, 28 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bowstring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bowstring was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near bowstring

Cite this Entry

“Bowstring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bowstring. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bowstring

noun
bow·​string ˈbō-ˌstriŋ How to pronounce bowstring (audio)
: the cord connecting the two ends of a bow
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