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longbow

American  
[lawng-boh, long-] / ˈlɔŋˌboʊ, ˈlɒŋ- /

noun

  1. a large bow drawn by hand, as that used by English archers from the 12th to the 16th centuries.

idioms

  1. draw the longbow, to exaggerate in telling stories; overstate something.

    He's sure to draw the longbow on the size of his catch of fish.
longbow British  
/ ˈlɒŋˌbəʊ /

noun

  1. a large powerful hand-drawn bow, esp as used in medieval England

"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

Etymology

Origin of longbow

First recorded in 1490–1500; long 1 + bow 2

Vocabulary lists containing longbow

Medieval Europe - Introductory

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Medieval Europe - Middle School

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Medieval Europe - High School

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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.

Perhaps he sees Twitter and TikTok as a modern version of the longbow.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Thomas broached a long list of historical figures, including the English King Henry VIII, who the ruling says worried that the advent of handguns threatened his subjects’ proficiency with the longbow.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 25, 2022

The revolver is as iconic for Americans as the samurai sword is for the Japanese or the longbow for the English and Welsh.

From New York Times • May 26, 2020

Whether it is constructing an igloo, hunting an antelope, lighting a fire, making a longbow or processing cassava, we learn not by understanding from first principles, but by imitating.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2019

Pelor, the gangly assassin, wasn’t yet strong enough to manage a longbow, and barely made any shots.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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.