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  • archer
    archer
    noun
    a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
  • Archer
    Archer
    noun
    William, 1856–1924, Scottish playwright, drama critic, and translator.
Synonyms

archer

1 American  
[ahr-cher] / ˈɑr tʃər /

noun

  1. a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.

  2. Astronomy, Astrology. Archer, the constellation or sign of Sagittarius.

  3. an archerfish.


Archer 2 American  
[ahr-cher] / ˈɑr tʃər /

noun

  1. William, 1856–1924, Scottish playwright, drama critic, and translator.

  2. a first name.


Archer 1 British  
/ ˈɑːtʃə /

noun

  1. Frederick Scott. 1813–57, British inventor and sculptor. He developed (1851) the wet collodion photographic process, enabling multiple copies of pictures to be made

  2. Jeffrey ( Howard ), Baron Archer of Weston-Super-Mare. born 1940, British novelist and Conservative politician. He was an MP from 1969 until 1974. His novels include Kane and Abel (1979), Honour Among Thieves (1993), and The Fourth Estate (1996): from 2001 to 2003 he was imprisoned for perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice

  3. William. 1856–1924, Scottish critic and dramatist: made the first English translations of Ibsen

"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

Archer 2 British  
/ ˈɑːtʃə /

noun

  1. the constellation Sagittarius, the ninth sign of the zodiac

"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

archer 3 British  
/ ˈɑːtʃə /

noun

  1. a person skilled in the use of a bow and arrow

"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

Etymology

Origin of archer

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French; Old French archier, from Late Latin arcuārius, equivalent to arcu-, stem of arcus “bow” ( see arc) + -ārius -ary

Explanation

If you enjoy shooting arrows at a target with a bow, you can call yourself an archer. Some archers compete in the Olympics. In ancient times, archers primarily used their bows and arrows to hunt for food or battle against enemies. There were also famous archers in mythology, including Artemis and Apollo in ancient Greece and Diana and Cupid in ancient Rome. Archer was an Anglo-French word first, from the Old French archier, "archer" or "bowmaker," from the Latin arcus, or "bow."

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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.

Feeling loose, feeling good, Stutzman began to wonder: Could he finish his storied career with something no armless archer had achieved — Paralympic gold?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2024

In 2012 he became the first armless archer to qualify for the Paralympics and burst onto the international scene with a silver medal.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 7, 2024

In her low moments, Devi would take inspiration from American archer Matt Stutzman, who famously shoots with his feet using a customised device.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2024

The distances they have to shoot also differ based on the classification system, which then determines whether an archer can use assistive devices such as wheelchairs and release aids.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2024

Anya poked her archer again, and he turned with a raised eyebrow.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

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