Meanings
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1
noun
the cord stretched between the ends of an archer's bow and drawn back to shoot an arrow
She checked the bowstring for fraying before fitting an arrow.
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2
noun
historical: a bow cord used as an instrument of strangulation or execution
Court rumor claimed that the condemned official had died by the bowstring.
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3
verb
historical: to strangle or execute with a bowstring
The ruler threatened to bowstring any officer who deserted his post.
Thesaurus
Etymology
A compound of bow + string. Its primary sense is the cord that stores and releases a bow's energy. In accounts of Ottoman and other Eurasian courts, a silk bowstring was represented as an instrument for strangling condemned officials, producing the historical noun and verb senses.