a slender, straight, generally pointed missile or weapon made to be shot from a bow and equipped with feathers at the end of the shaft near the nock, for controlling flight.
anything resembling an arrow in form, function, or character.
a linear figure having a wedge-shaped end, as one used on a map or architectural drawing, to indicate direction or placement.
Astronomy. Arrow, the constellation Sagitta.
a long slender pointed weapon, usually having feathers fastened at the end as a balance, that is shot from a bow
any of various things that resemble an arrow in shape, function, or speed, such as a sign indicating direction or position
First recorded before 900; Middle English arewe, arwe, Old English earh; cognate with Old Norse ǫr (plural ǫrvar ), Gothic arhwazna; unattested Germanic arhwō (feminine), akin to Latin arcus (genitive arcūs ) “bow, arc”; thus unattested Latin arku- “bow,” and unattested pre-Germanic arku-ā “belonging to the bow”; see arc
An arrow is a pointed weapon that's shot with a bow. If you enjoy archery, you like to shoot arrows at a target. A bow consists of a piece of wood, metal, or plastic that has a flexible string connected to each end, and an arrow is the smaller, sharp-ended projectile that's held as the string is stretched back. When the string is released, the arrow flies. The Old English source of arrow is earh, which most likely comes from an Old Norse root.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The paradox arises only if we insist on describing horizons using a single, one-sided arrow of time extrapolated to infinity — an assumption quantum mechanics itself does not require.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Around back, an arrow, painted garnet against an otherwise beige facade, points toward a red door sheltered by a small, domed awning.
From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026
But it’s not just the film itself that feels off, with its allegory’s dull arrow landing in a field thousands of acres away from the target.
From Salon • May 3, 2026
Use the arrow to move to the next slide.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
He threw a stone again: this time an arrow erupted from the opposite side.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
