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.
Excitement levels were raised further in the fourth leg when Littler had double 15 remaining for a second nine-darter, only for his arrow to land just the wrong side of the wire.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 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
At Angie Fadel’s Mindful Archery workshops in Los Angeles, women and nonbinary attendees use bow and arrow instruction, somatic breathwork and nature therapy to release stress and find inner strength.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Like that arrow on a dashboard, a line of paint on the road wasn’t always there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
An archer aimed an arrow at the sorcerer, and the boy lifted his arms.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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
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
“It grossly mischaracterizes the facts and the claim that Quill & Arrow created fabricated attorney billing records is absurd,” the firm said in a statement.
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
When we first started going to Nantucket, which is off the tip of Cape Cod, automobiles weren’t allowed on the island, and we’d leave the Pierce Arrow in a garage at New Bedford, Massachusetts.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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
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
As Pierce sees it, a 10% cap is “one of the few arrows left in the quiver for the White House really struggling to address the affordability crisis.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
As night set in, that goodness he was feeling unfurled even more with the vines and arrows.
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.
