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Synonyms

crossbow

American  
[kraws-boh, kros-] / ˈkrɔsˌboʊ, ˈkrɒs- /

noun

  1. a medieval weapon consisting of a bow fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often incorporating or accompanied by a mechanism for bending the bow.

crossbow British  
/ ˈkrɒsˌbəʊ /

noun

  1. a type of medieval bow fixed transversely on a wooden stock grooved to direct a square-headed arrow (quarrel)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of crossbow

First recorded in 1400–50, crossbow is from the late Middle English word crossbowe. See cross, bow 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Speaking to BBC Sounds podcast The Crossbow Killer in an exclusive interview, she said: "There are so many questions. Why on earth has this happened? How could this happen?"

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2023

Anderson directed more than 35 films, including "The Wreck of the Mary Deare," "Operation Crossbow," "All the Fine Young Cannibals," and "The Quiller Memorandum."

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2018

It was a remark that was echoed in December last year when Gervais lamented the demolition of Crossbow House, where The Office was set.

From The Guardian • Jul. 30, 2014

In the 1980s Tell hit the small screen in the TV series "Crossbow," which had synthesizer sound effects and a hero with great hair.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2013

The next day Olympia was visited by a representative of the Crossbow, the chief journal of Warchester, and urged to write a narrative of her adventures in the rebel capital.

From The Iron Game A Tale of the War by Keenan, Henry F. (Henry Francis)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.