Arrow

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæɹəʊ/

Definitions

1. A slender shaft with a pointed tip launched from a bow ; a graphic symbol used to show direction or point toward something
2. A pointed missile designed to be shot by a bow for hunting or warfare ; an icon or mark that guides or indicates a route or position
3. A thin, straight weapon propelled by force from a bow ; a directional figure used in signs and diagrams to indicate movement or position

Etymology: The most surprising thing about this word is that it shares a root with "arc" and "arch." All three descend from one Proto-Indo-European word meaning "bow" or "arrow," which makes them doublets: cousins that split apart as they traveled through different languages. The bow in question was the weapon, and the arrow was the thing it launched, so the two ideas were never far apart. The Germanic branch kept the sense of the projectile. Old English "earh" named the arrow itself, and it reached Middle English as "arwe." Its relatives in Old Norse and modern Icelandic ("ör") still mean the same thing, so the word has been stable across the northern Germanic languages for centuries. Meanwhile, the Latin "arcus" traveled south and west. It became "arco" in Italian and Spanish and "arc" in French, and it gave English the curved shapes of "arch" and "arc." The English word for the weapon and the English word for the curve are therefore relatives, separated by a single ancient meaning that meant "bow" in both directions.

Synonyms: dart, bolt, shaft, projectile, indicator