archer
noun
a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
Showing results for archer.
archer
1 American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
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archers
plural
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a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
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Astronomy, Astrology. Archer, the constellation or sign of Sagittarius.
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an archerfish.
Archer
2
American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
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William, 1856–1924, Scottish playwright, drama critic, and translator.
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a first name.
Archer
1
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
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Frederick Scott. 1813–57, British inventor and sculptor. He developed (1851) the wet collodion photographic process, enabling multiple copies of pictures to be made
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Jeffrey ( Howard ), Baron Archer of Weston-Super-Mare. born 1940, British novelist and Conservative politician. He was an MP from 1969 until 1974. His novels include Kane and Abel (1979), Honour Among Thieves (1993), and The Fourth Estate (1996): from 2001 to 2003 he was imprisoned for perjury and attempting to pervert the course of justice
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William. 1856–1924, Scottish critic and dramatist: made the first English translations of Ibsen
Archer
2
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
archer
3
British
/ ˈɑːtʃə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of archer
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French; Old French archier, from Late Latin arcuārius, equivalent to arcu-, stem of arcus “bow” ( see arc) + -ārius -ary
Explanation
If you enjoy shooting arrows at a target with a bow, you can call yourself an archer. Some archers compete in the Olympics. In ancient times, archers primarily used their bows and arrows to hunt for food or battle against enemies. There were also famous archers in mythology, including Artemis and Apollo in ancient Greece and Diana and Cupid in ancient Rome. Archer was an Anglo-French word first, from the Old French archier, "archer" or "bowmaker," from the Latin arcus, or "bow."
Vocabulary lists containing archer
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:
Midway through pursuing her master’s in 2011 she discovered a friend was a master archer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
The identity of the archer, or archers, remains unknown.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2025
Feeling loose, feeling good, Stutzman began to wonder: Could he finish his storied career with something no armless archer had achieved — Paralympic gold?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2024
The distances they have to shoot also differ based on the classification system, which then determines whether an archer can use assistive devices such as wheelchairs and release aids.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024
He nodded toward another archer, who leaned down to pull Ivan onto his horse, and then took Anya’s hand when she grabbed his.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Jofra Archer cut a frustrated figure when Razaullah hit him for successive straight sixes and at one point Gus Atkinson was asked to bowl bouncers with eight fielders on the boundary.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Josh Tongue bowled quickly for his 4-42, Ollie Robinson passed 100 Test wickets with his 3-15 and Jofra Archer claimed the remaining three scalps.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
It even backed proposals that shareholders rejected: Texas Capital Bancshares and Archer Aviation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
And before then I desperately hope England do not rest Robinson, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson or Josh Tongue for the third Test in Edgbaston.
From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026
Archer wriggled out into the hold at the bottom of the ship.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Henry’s archers carried longbows that cost little, drawn by men trained in every village across the kingdom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
It was defended by a mix of infantry, archers, and cavalry drawn from across the Roman Empire.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2025
The 250 yards is a typical distance for castle-bashing, since the archers defending such strongholds struggled to hit targets much beyond that distance.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2025
Archery GB, the national governing body for the sport of archery, said crossbows were "legitimately" used by archers shooting at targets.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2025
The archers let their arrows fly, one by one, sending the flames through a rainbow of conflagration.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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.
