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.
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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
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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:
But the ability to hit the Russian archer instead of letting the arrows fall is even better.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
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
Historically, taming a horse meant “breaking it,” explains Junko Goda, a horseback archer who was Bae Doona’s stunt riding double in Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
The identity of the archer, or archers, remains unknown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2025
If the archer wanted to buy the feathers, it was his business.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
The expansion comes after Boeing agreed to take a nearly 20% stake in Archer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Archer Aviation is launching air taxi networks in three Texas cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
Dew made the ball incredibly slippery, while their attack was weakened by the absence of the rested Jofra Archer and benched Adil Rashid.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is injured for this series while fast bowler Jofra Archer has been rested.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
And now Oliver Archer was going to drink my grandma’s cocoa.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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
It was defended by a mix of infantry, archers, and cavalry drawn from across the Roman Empire.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 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
He said crossbows were used, predominantly, by archers who may be unable to use a "traditional" bow and arrow.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025
Apollo’s archers fired a volley, dozens of arrows sticking in the thick armor of the giants like porcupine quills.
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
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