arrow

¹ American  

[ar-oh] / ˈær oʊ /

noun

1. 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.

2. anything resembling an arrow in form, function, or character.

3. a linear figure having a wedge-shaped end, as one used on a map or architectural drawing, to indicate direction or placement.

4. Astronomy. Arrow, the constellation Sagitta.

5. broad arrow.

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verb (used with object)

1. to indicate the proper position of (an insertion) by means of an arrow (often followed byin ).

   to arrow in a comment between the paragraphs.

Arrow ² American  

[ar-oh] / ˈær oʊ /

noun

1. Kenneth Joseph, 1921–2017, U.S. economist: Nobel Prize 1972.

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arrow British  

/ ˈærəʊ /

noun

1. a long slender pointed weapon, usually having feathers fastened at the end as a balance, that is shot from a bow

2. any of various things that resemble an arrow in shape, function, or speed, such as a sign indicating direction or position

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Other Word Forms

• arrowless adjective
• arrowlike adjective

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”; 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

Cupid's arrow struck during a two-hour dinner at Trump Tower in September 2024.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Now, “the arrow of causality has flipped” on the view that “AI is killing the jobs first, and that’s what’s making the economy sick.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

Spin can be pictured as a small arrow showing the direction of an atom's magnetic field.

From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2026

The first sign of it was on page 23 of the brochure for the 1989 Ford Thunderbird, which revealed a subtle feature on the car’s instrument panel: a white arrow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026

As the arrow launched out toward Jack’s face the sword glowed brightly, and time seemed to slow down.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Related Words

• cursor
• dart
• missile
• projectile