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
“This is my big brother Peter’s magic compass. He just follows where the arrow points, and we follow him. It is how we got here. Simple.”
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Alan Morrison, chief executive of Arrow Lab, says the company has a painstaking process to review each kit component to prevent contamination.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 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
"Thank you for the support I've received over what has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain period in my life," said Arrow.
From BBC ● May 20, 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
It was a gray Pierce Arrow, equipped with two bulb horns and an electric Klaxon, which Dad would try to blow all at the same time when he wanted to pass anyone.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
"This research is achieved by team effort. There is an old Japanese saying: 'One arrow is easy to break, but three arrows bundled together are not,'" Mizuno said.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 2, 2026
No need to untangle the complex hypocrisy here — it’s all laid out in arrows and diagrams.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 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
What remains today of the banking business has coalesced around two banks that share the family’s five arrows motif.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
I needed to get to Opal in the castle, but in my way there were guards and spears and arrows and a stone wall and possibly more of that beyond the wall.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
