bowstring : Idioms & Phrases

• noun bowstring hemp of South Africa
  Sansevieria guineensis; African hemp.
  

WordNet

• 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.

Webster 1913

• an arched beam strengthened by a tie connecting its two ends.

Webster 1913

• noun hemp obtained from the sansevieria
  
• noun strong fiber that resembles hemp; obtained from sansevieria and used for e.g. cordage
  
• noun grown as a houseplant for its mottled fleshy sword-shaped leaves or as a source of fiber
  sansevieria.
  

WordNet

• (Bot.), the tenacious fiber of the Sanseviera Zeylanica, growing in India and Africa, from which bowstrings are made.

Webster 1913

• noun plant having thick fibrous leaves transversely banded in light and dark green
  Sansevieria zeylanica.
  

WordNet