bow drill

noun

A simple rotational hand-operated tool of prehistoric origin, used as a fire drill for ignition, or for other drilling tasks such as woodwork and dentistry.

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Meanings

nounbow drill (plural bow drills)

plural bow drills

  1. A simple rotational hand-operated tool of prehistoric origin, used as a fire drill for ignition, or for other drilling tasks such as woodwork and dentistry.

    [I]n the year 1000 the trepanner had at his disposal the semi-mechanical bow drill that was used by carpenters and masons of the time.

    1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 124

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
fire drill
Cite this entry
APA

bow drill. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20drill

MLA

“bow drill.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20drill. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bow drill,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bow%20drill.

Source: bow drill on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.