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.
Arteta is the red arrow - the force of nature who has steered and shaped the team into one of the most impressive in European football.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Around the same time, humans in the region also adopted bow and arrow technology.
From Science Daily • May 11, 2026
Normally, I love the arrow of a Willie Nelson lyric, which is: What’s the simplest way I can say the most complicated thing?
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 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
If he hadn’t had the arrow leading the way, he would have been in this labyrinth forever.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
