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:
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
Chinese archer Ai Xinliang describes him as “sunshine, giving light to all disabled persons.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2024
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 front of them, the fool Ivan sat silently behind the archer Ivan, and farther ahead, Håkon hunched on his archer’s horse.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler is injured for this series while fast bowler Jofra Archer has been rested.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
Crocombe is one of five specialist fast bowlers to be given a multi-year deal, joining Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Archer Aviation, the San Jose-based air taxi startup, announced Monday it was taking control of Boeing’s Wisk Aero as well as the air traffic software provider SkyGrid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Joby could launch air taxis in the United Arab Emirates in the next year, while Archer says its goal is to operate in Los Angeles in time for the 2028 Olympic Games.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
The ships have also brought us back Captain Archer and Captain Ratcliffe.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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
In the compound open category, archers shoot at 50 metres on an 80cm target.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024
Behind them came armorers, cooks, grooms; ranks of spearmen, axemen, archers; grizzled veterans of a hundred battles and green boys off to fight their first.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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