Definition

1. Noun:
   • A projectile shot from a bow: A thin, straight shaft with a sharp point (arrowhead) at one end and feathers or vanes at the other to stabilize its flight.
   • A symbol indicating direction: A mark or sign, often in the shape of a wedge and a line, used to point to something or show the way.

Examples

• Noun (Projectile):

  • The archer carefully aimed the arrow at the target.
  • Ancient hunters used arrows made of wood and stone.

• Noun (Symbol):

  • Follow the red arrow to find the exit.
  • The diagram uses arrows to show the flow of information.

Advanced Usage

• "To have an arrow in one's quiver": To have a resource, skill, or argument kept in reserve for future use.

  • The lawyer had one final legal precedent as an arrow in his quiver.

• "Straight as an arrow": Describing something that is very straight, direct, or honest.

  • The road to the coast is straight as an arrow.
  • He's as straight as an arrow; you can always trust his word.

Variants and Related Words

• Arrowhead (n): The sharp, pointed tip of an arrow.

  • The archaeologists found a flint arrowhead.

• Arrowroot (n): A starch obtained from the rhizomes of a tropical plant. (Note: This is a compound word with a different, specific meaning unrelated to the projectile).

Synonyms

• Bolt: A short, heavy arrow shot from a crossbow.
• Dart: A small, thin missile; can be thrown or shot.
• Pointer: A symbol or indicator used to show direction or position.

Related Phrases

• Broad arrow: A specific arrow-shaped mark, historically used on British government property.
• Arrow of time: A scientific or philosophical concept describing the one-way direction of time from past to future.

Idioms

• A sling and an arrow (or "slings and arrows"): Hardships or misfortunes. (Often from the Shakespearean phrase "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune").

  • He endured the slings and arrows of starting his own business.

• To shoot one's last arrow: To use one's final resource or argument.

  • After presenting all the evidence, the prosecutor had shot his last arrow.

Noun

1. a projectile with a straight thin shaft and an arrowhead on one end and stabilizing vanes on the other; intended to be shot from a bow
2. a mark to indicate a direction or relation