archer
noun
a person who shoots with a bow and arrow; bowman.
Showing results for archer.
archer
1 American
[ahr-cher]
/ ˈɑr tʃər /
noun
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
-
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:
Historically, taming a horse meant “breaking it,” explains Junko Goda, a horseback archer who was Bae Doona’s stunt riding double in Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 10, 2026
They featured complex politics and monstrous villains but also felt less oppressive: “Seraphina’s” eponymous hero is a musician rather than an archer, and music is at the center of the book.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 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
“We got this gunpowder from an archer at the last outpost.”
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Archer plans to announce the first customers for the commercial variant later this week, the company said in a release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Foraying into the defense space could give Archer an extra boost as it races to develop its air taxis faster than competitors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
The visitors looked on course for an imposing total as Kohli steered them to 178-3 in the 32nd over, but his top edge to deep third off Jofra Archer proved decisive.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026
Neros’s drones, called Archer, cost about $2,000 each and about $5,000 once the warhead and related equipment are added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
Archer made the sign for the book, flapping his open palms like wings.
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
But even more would I give for a hundred good archers of Mirkwood.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
