stonebow

plural stonebows · alternative stone-bow

1. historicalA kind of crossbow used for shooting stones.

   O, for a stone-bow, to hit him in the eye!

   c. 1601–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Twelfe Night, or What You Will”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene v]

   Synonyms: bullet-shooting crossbow, goolail

2. archaicA toy catapult.

   Children will shortly take him for a wall, And set their stone-bowes in his forhead

   1612 January 5 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Francis Beaumont, Iohn Fletcher, A King and No King. […], London: […] [John Beale] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1619, →OCLC, (please specify the page)