arrow
noun
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.
arrow
1 American
[ar-oh]
/ ˈær oʊ /
noun
-
arrows
plural
-
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.
verb (used with object)
Arrow
2
American
[ar-oh]
/ ˈær oʊ /
noun
arrow
British
/ ˈærəʊ /
noun
-
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
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of arrow
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
Explanation
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.
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:
“When you’re in your 40s, it’s like you’re pointing an arrow at your head,” Abend said, as if daring those around you to speculate about whether you get work done.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The law also prohibits throwing a “stone, pellet, bullet, arrow or any other missile, in, over, across, along or upon any street or sidewalk or in any public park.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
With his trusty bow and arrow, he hunts game and safeguards his twin sister Asa – who, for unexplained reasons, resides behind bars in a dark cell.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
But there's debate about whether the arrow was actually in the original version of the tapestry or added during a 19th Century restoration.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Just exactly where it went wrong we weren’t sure, but I’m fairly certain that nobody had ever shot an arrow from Old Jim’s back before.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
Back-up freight vessel MV Arrow is also set to return to the island while the Manxman is out of action.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Quill & Arrow, a personal injury firm that represents drivers suing over so-called “lemons” — vehicles with significant, unfixable manufacturing flaws — has long been a thorn in the side of Ford.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
It supports American jobs, American weapons production and American participation in the advanced technology pioneered by Israel—such as Iron Dome, Iron Beam, Arrow 3 and David’s Sling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
An emotional Arrow was unable to speak during a club press conference on Wednesday, but had a written statement read out.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
That night, I read Treasure Island again, and I don’t want to brag, but I’ve read Treasure Island four times and Kidnapped twice and The Black Arrow twice.
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Computer simulations showed the structures as swirling arrays of arrows that illustrate how different properties of light change direction across the Poisson spot.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026
No need to untangle the complex hypocrisy here — it’s all laid out in arrows and diagrams.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Those in need of larger numbers still can then turn to various shorthands, such as Knuth arrows, devised in 1976 by the computer scientist Donald Knuth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Observations show the people use narrow outrigger canoes, live in large communal huts, carry spears, bows and arrows, and wear fibre waistbelts, as well as necklaces and headbands.
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
Beside him stood a tall young man, and a girl about Torak’s own age: Both had dark-red hair, smooth, pitiless faces, and flint arrows trained on his heart.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
