stonebow

English

Alternative forms

• stone-bow

Etymology

stone +‎ bow

Noun

stonebow (plural stonebows)

1. (historical) A kind of crossbow used for shooting stones.

   Synonyms: bullet-shooting crossbow, (India, historical) goolail

   • 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]:

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

2. (archaic) A toy catapult.
   • 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):

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

References

• “stonebow”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

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