arrow

[ar-oh]

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.

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.

(initial capital letter) Astronomy. the constellation Sagitta.

broad arrow.

verb (used with object)

to indicate the proper position of (an insertion) by means of an arrow (often followed by in): to arrow in a comment between the paragraphs.

Origin of arrow

before 900; Middle English arewe, arwe, Old English earh; cognate with Old Norse ǫr (plural ǫrvar), Gothic arhwazna; Germanic *arhwō (feminine), akin to Latin arcus (genitive arcūs) bow, arc; thus Latin *arku- bow, pre-Germanic *arku-ā belonging to the bow

Related formsar·row·less, adjectivear·row·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for arrows

missile, projectile, dart, cursor, shaft, indicator, pointer, bolt

Examples from the Web for arrows

Contemporary Examples of arrows

Even beyond the slings and arrows aimed at them both in public life, these two women have a lot in common.
Channeling Eleanor
Eleanor Clift
September 9, 2014
When the Arrows and the Blades ended the game in a scoreless tie, the crowd jumped onto the field.
Why Americans Should Love the World Cup
Sean Wilsey
June 12, 2014
As he rode away, the redheaded wildling filled her lover with three arrows, sparing his life.
Game of Thrones’ Rose Leslie on Ygritte and Jon Snow’s Reunion at the Battle of Castle Black
Marlow Stern
June 10, 2014
For every arrow pointing toward a “designer,” there are a thousand arrows pointing the other way.
The Crazy Way Creationists Try To Explain Human Tails Without Evolution
Karl W. Giberson
June 1, 2014
“I think that my love for arrows, feathers, birds, animals, and just nature in general certainly [does],” she explained.
Langley Fox: A Hemingway in All But Name
Justin Jones
January 28, 2014

Historical Examples of arrows

A grievous error it is to suppose that Cupid's artillery is limited to bow and arrows.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
I have thirteen arrows yet, and if one of them fly unfleshed, then, by the twang of string!
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
And did they--the Five Chiefs, I mean--have respect for his arrows?
The Trail Book
Mary Austin
Why don't they defend it on the flank also, even with arrows?
The Leopard Woman
Stewart Edward White
I am your friend, your brother; I have no spear and no arrows, but I have this—this!
Green Mansions
W. H. Hudson

British Dictionary definitions for arrows

arrows

noun

(functioning as singular) British an informal name for darts

arrow

noun

a long slender pointed weapon, usually having feathers fastened at the end as a balance, that is shot from a bowRelated adjective: sagittal

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

Word Origin for arrow

Old English arwe; related to Old Norse ör, Gothic arhvazna, Latin arcus bow, arch 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for arrows

arrow

early 14c., from Old English arwan, earlier earh "arrow," possibly borrowed from Old Norse ör (genitive örvar), from Proto-Germanic *arkhwo (cf. Gothic arhwanza), from PIE root *arku- "bow and/or arrow," source of Latin arcus (see arc (n.)). The ground sense would be "the thing belonging to the bow," perhaps a superstitious avoidance of the actual name.

A rare word in Old English, where more common words for "arrow" were stræl (cognate with the word still common in Slavic, once prevalent in Germanic, too; meaning related to "flash, streak") and fla, flan, a North Germanic word, perhaps originally with the sense of "splinter." Stræl disappeared by 1200; fla lingered in Scottish until after 1500. Meaning "a mark like an arrow in cartography, etc." is from 1834.