archer
noun
a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
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archer
1 American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
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archers
plural
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a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
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Astronomy, Astrology. Archer, the constellation or sign of Sagittarius.
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an archerfish.
Archer
2
American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
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William, 1856–1924, Scottish playwright, drama critic, and translator.
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a first name.
Archer
1
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
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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
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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:
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
Chinese archer Ai Xinliang describes him as “sunshine, giving light to all disabled persons.”
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
A 16-year-old Olympian who was the youngest archer at the Paris 2024 games is celebrating passing her GCSEs despite "ironically" failing PE.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2024
She grabbed the archer around his chest long enough to get balanced, then released him quickly.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
It even backed proposals that shareholders rejected: Texas Capital Bancshares and Archer Aviation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
With six white-ball matches against Sri Lanka to follow the Test series, England may consider resting seamers Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue, all of whom feature in the limited-overs set-up.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Archer and Tongue wrapped up the tail, meaning Robinson did not return for a shot at a five-wicket haul.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
The left-hander was brave, too, coming through blows to the helmet from Archer and Tongue.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
“The Archer family just moved here,” Grandma said as she pulled onto Deer Hill’s main road.
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
Archery's governing body raised concerns that restrictions might affect elderly and disabled archers who found using crossbows easier, but said it would work with the government.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025
Winged archers take aim at the cluster of roots where the Ghost was hiding.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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.
