Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
arbalest arbalist arbelest arblast | a CROSSBOW with a mechanism for drawing the string. [Ult. from L. arcus, bow, + ballista]. |
[Note: I don't know whether archery as a sport actually has a crossbow section, but I've included them for good measure. When first introduced, crossbows were regarded as an invention of the Devil and deuced unsporting because a crossbow bolt could penetrate even a knight's plate armour. It was, of course, perfectly sporting for the knights to wear plate armour in the first place while chopping up peasants who couldn't even afford a duffel-coat]. | |
arbalester arbalister arblaster | a crossbowman. |
archer | one that shoots with a bow and arrow. |
archeress | a female archer. |
archery | the sport of shooting with a bow and arrow. |
arcubalist | a crossbow. |
arrow | a straight, pointed missile, made to be shot from a bow; (verb) to indicate the position of by arrow. |
arrowhead | the head or pointed part of an arrow. |
arrowless | without arrows. |
barb | a subsidiary backward-facing projection near the point of an arrow, fish-hook, etc. |
bolt | a projectile fired by a crossbow. |
bowhunt | to hunt with a bow and arrow. |
bowhunter | a person who hunts with a bow and arrow. |
bowhunting | hunting with a bow and arrow > BOWHUNTINGS. |
bowman bowsman | an archer; a hunter with a bow. |
bowshot | the distance to which an arrow can be shot from a bow. |
bowstring | the string of a bow; (verb) to strangle with a bowstring > BOWSTRINGS, BOWSTRINGING, BOWSTRINGED or BOWSTRUNG. The verb is possibly not actually part of archery as a sport, unless tempers run very high. |
bowyer | one who makes or repairs bows. |
bracer | an archer's leather arm-guard. |
bull | the centre of a target. |
bullseye | the centre of a target. |
butt | a mark or mound for archery or shooting practice. |
clout | the mark or target, usu in long-distance shooting. |
crossbow | a weapon for shooting bolts, formed of a bow placed crosswise on a stock. |
crossbower | one who uses a crossbow. |
crossbowman | a person (as a soldier or a hunter) whose weapon is a crossbow. |
dorlach | (Gaelic) a quiver for arrows. |
dribber | (Obs.) one who shoots arrows weakly or badly. |
fistmele | the measurement of the distance from the grip to the string of a bow, usually measured by placing a fist on the grip with the thumb extended towards the bowstring. |
fletch | to provide (an arrow) with feathers for flight. |
fletcher | a maker of arrows. |
fletching | the feathers of an arrow. |
forkhead | (Spenser) an arrowhead. |
hewgh | a sound imitating the whistling of an arrow. |
inner | in archery, a hit next to the bull. |
longbow | a bow drawn by hand as distinct from the crossbow. |
longbowman | an archer who uses a longbow. |
moulinet | a machine for bending a crossbow. |
nock notch | the attachment on the rear end of an arrow which holds it in place on the bow string; (verb) to fit an arrow to a bowstring. |
outer | the outermost ring on a target, or a shot striking it. |
petticoat | the part of an archery target outside the scoring area. |
popinjay | a figure of a parrot set up to be shot at. |
quarrel | a projectile fired by a crossbow. |
quiver | a holder for arrows; (verb) to shake, tremble. |
quiverful | the contents of a full quiver > QUIVERFULS or QUIVERSFUL. |
ragbolt | a bolt with barbs to prevent withdrawal. |
recurve | a bow whose tips are curved towards the back. |
riser | the handle of a bow; a rod securing a stair-carpet. |
rover | a random or long-distance mark in archery. |
sagittary | in heraldry, a representation of a centaur or mounted archer. |
shaft | an arrow. |
sheaf | a bundle of twenty-four arrows. |
toxophilite | one fond of or expert at archery. |
toxophilitic | related to archery. |
toxophily | love of archery; archery. |
wand | a slat six feet by two inches used as a target in archery. |
windac windas windlass | an instrument for bending a crossbow. |