BOW

anything curved or bowed: formerly it was used for arch, whence is derived Bow Church; weapon used to shoot arrows (see ArcHERY). Violins and similar instruments are played with b’s, consisting of a stick of Pernambuco wood, about 29 in. in length, strung with white horsehair. The best kind of b. in use at the present time, with its various parts and acce ories, was the invention of Franco is Tourte (1747-1835), <A primitive kind of b. was in use from very early times.