bowstring hemp
- noun
:
fibra de sansevieria
- The fibers of bowstring hemp are prized for their strength in making durable ropes.
Examples
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Traditional archers sometimes use bowstring hemp to create reliable bowstrings for their bows.
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The artisan used bowstring hemp to craft strong cords for fishing nets.
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We studied the process of extracting bowstring hemp from sansevieria leaves in our botany class.
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The artisan used bowstring hemp to craft durable ropes.
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I bought some bowstring hemps for my gardening project.
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Traditional archers sometimes use bowstring hemp to create reliable bowstrings for their bows.
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The fibers of bowstring hemp are prized for their strength in making durable ropes.
Synonyms
A South African plant whose long, strong leaves people use to make rope
A tropical African plant with long stiff leaves that people use as a houseplant and for strong ropes
A strong fibrous plant with long stiff leaves used for making rope
A tropical plant with thick striped green leaves grown for strong fibers and decoration
A tropical plant with thick banded green leaves often kept indoors
Surface Forms
Morphology
bowstring + hemp
The phrase is compositionally built: 'bowstring' (a string for a bow) modifies 'hemp' (a coarse fibrous material), so the meaning is a type of hemp used for strong cordage or bowstrings. Even though 'bowstring' isn't listed separately, its internal parts are transparent and the noun-noun modifier pattern is common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the meaning.
Etymology
Bowstring hemp is the strong fiber taken from that plant and used to make a bowstring and other cords. That's why the phrase means 'a strong fiber used for making ropes and cords'.
