archer
noun
a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
archer
1 American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
-
archers
plural
-
a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
-
Astronomy, Astrology. Archer, the constellation or sign of Sagittarius.
-
an archerfish.
Archer
2
American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
-
William, 1856–1924, Scottish playwright, drama critic, and translator.
-
a first name.
Archer
1
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
-
Frederick Scott. 1813–57, British inventor and sculptor. He developed (1851) the wet collodion photographic process, enabling multiple copies of pictures to be made
-
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
-
William. 1856–1924, Scottish critic and dramatist: made the first English translations of Ibsen
Archer
2
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
archer
3
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing archer
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.
See Examples For:
In the field behind them, a scarecrow in the form of an archer, along with rags fluttering from lines of string, are meant to keep birds from scavenging the newly planted seeds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Midway through pursuing her master’s in 2011 she discovered a friend was a master archer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
They featured complex politics and monstrous villains but also felt less oppressive: “Seraphina’s” eponymous hero is a musician rather than an archer, and music is at the center of the book.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2025
As the only female American archer in her Paralympic category, she had to meet a minimum score – shooting 72 arrows, she needed 520 points from 720.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2024
Ulmer of the Kingswood was amongst them, and it was the old archer who came forward to speak for the rest.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
In the 1990s, he was a vice president and assistant to the chairman at agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even Jofra Archer got involved, heaving two sixes of his own.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Josh Tongue bowled quickly for his 4-42, Ollie Robinson passed 100 Test wickets with his 3-15 and Jofra Archer claimed the remaining three scalps.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
It even backed proposals that shareholders rejected: Texas Capital Bancshares and Archer Aviation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
He spent a year with foster parents in Archer City, but when three-quarters of the family’s cattle died off, they sent him back to the boys’ home.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
Henry’s archers carried longbows that cost little, drawn by men trained in every village across the kingdom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
The researchers draw parallels to human military history, where heavily armored knights were eventually replaced by specialized soldiers such as archers and crossbowmen.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 22, 2025
The 250 yards is a typical distance for castle-bashing, since the archers defending such strongholds struggled to hit targets much beyond that distance.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025
Archery GB, the national governing body for the sport of archery, said crossbows were "legitimately" used by archers shooting at targets.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025
The obvious conclusion was that many of these men were archers.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
