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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

Example Sentences

The arrival of the arrow, small as it was, was a notable advance in Western civilization.

From The Wall Street Journal

After USC lost to unranked Texas Christian in the Alamo Bowl to finish a 9-4 season, coach Lincoln Riley said, “The arrow is pointing straight up.”

From Los Angeles Times

Others might be learning right now that there’s an arrow next to the pump on the fuel gauge that shows which side of the car the gas tank is on.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The arrow,” he said Tuesday, “is pointing straight up.”

From Los Angeles Times

California milk cartons may lose their coveted recycling symbol, the one with the chasing arrows, potentially threatening the existence of the ubiquitous beverage containers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cursor
• dart
• missile
• projectile