bowstr

n. 1. The string of a bow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A string used by the Turks for strangling offenders. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bowstring bridge, a bridge formed of an arch of timber or iron, often braced, the thrust of which is resisted by a tie forming a chord of the arch. --
Bowstring girder, an arched beam strengthened by a tie connecting its two ends. --
Bowstring hemp (Bot.), the tenacious fiber of the Sanseviera Zeylanica, growing in India and Africa, from which bowstrings are made. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]