bowstring

bow·string
B3O1W4S1T1R1I1N1G2
US/ˈboʊ.stɹɪŋ/UK/ˈbəʊ.stɹɪŋ/

noun

The string of an archer's bow.

UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

nounbowstring (plural bowstrings)

plural bowstrings

  1. The string of an archer's bow.

    For an instant he glanced along the polished shaft, drawing the bowstring far back, that the arrow might pierce through the heart for which it was aimed.

    1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 191
  2. historicalThe string of an archer's bow, as used by the Turks for strangling offenders.
verbbowstring (third-person singular simple present bowstrings, present participle bowstringing, simple past and past participle bowstrung or bowstringed)

present singular third person bowstrings · participle present bowstringing · participle past bowstrung · past bowstrung · participle past bowstringed · past bowstringed

  1. transitiveTo strangle with a bowstring.

    1909, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), A Municipal Report I have seen (on one of my imaginary tours) the Sultan of Turkey bowstring with his own hands one of his wives who had uncovered her face in public.

    1 more example

    When the day broke […] it was high time for her to get up and be bowstrung—a thing very little more pleasant than hanging, only a trifle more genteel.

    1850, Edgar Allan Poe, The Thousand-and-Second Tale of Scheherazade

Origin

From bow + string.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek νευρά
  • νευρά (neurá)string of an archer's bow
Arabic وَتَر
  • وَتَر (watar)string of an archer's bow
Bulgarian тетива́
  • тетива́ (tetivá)string of an archer's bow
Catalan corda
  • cordastring of an archer's bow
Chinese Cantonese 弓弦, 弦
  • 弓弦 (gung¹ jin⁴)string of an archer's bow
  • 弦 (jin⁴)string of an archer's bow
Chinese Mandarin 弓弦, 弦
  • 弓弦 (gōngxián)string of an archer's bow
  • 弦 (xián)string of an archer's bow
Czech tětiva
  • tětivastring of an archer's bow
Danish buestreng
  • buestrengstring of an archer's bow
Dutch boogpees, boogstreng
  • boogpeesstring of an archer's bow
  • boogstrengstring of an archer's bow
Estonian vibunöör
  • vibunöörstring of an archer's bow
Finnish jänne
  • jännestring of an archer's bow
French corde
  • cordestring of an archer's bow
German Bogensehne
  • Bogensehnestring of an archer's bow
Hindi ज्या, प्रत्यंचा
  • ज्या (jyā)string of an archer's bow
  • प्रत्यंचा (pratyañcā)string of an archer's bow
Hungarian íjhúr
  • íjhúrstring of an archer's bow
Icelandic bogastrengur
  • bogastrengurstring of an archer's bow
Italian corda
  • cordastring of an archer's bow
Japanese 弓弦, 弦
  • 弓弦string of an archer's bow
  • 弦 (tsuru)string of an archer's bow
Korean 궁현, 활줄
  • 궁현 (gunghyeon)string of an archer's bow
  • 활줄 (hwaljul)string of an archer's bow
  • 활시위 (hwalsiwi)string of an archer's bow
Lithuanian templė
  • templėstring of an archer's bow
Norwegian Bokmål buestreng
  • buestrengstring of an archer's bow
Polish cięciwa
  • cięciwastring of an archer's bow
Portuguese corda de arco
  • corda de arcostring of an archer's bow
Romanian coardă
  • coardăstring of an archer's bow
Russian тетива́
  • тетива́ (tetivá)string of an archer's bow
Slovak tetiva
  • tetivastring of an archer's bow
Spanish cuerda
  • cuerdastring of an archer's bow
Swedish bågsträng
  • bågsträngstring of an archer's bow
Turkish kiriş, yay kiriş
  • kirişstring of an archer's bow
  • yay kirişstring of an archer's bow
Ukrainian тятива́
  • тятива́ (tjatyvá)string of an archer's bow
Vietnamese dây cung
  • dây cungstring of an archer's bow
Cite this entry
APA

bowstring. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bowstring

MLA

“bowstring.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bowstring. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bowstring,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bowstring.

Source: bowstring on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.