Nocked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Having an arrow fitted onto a bowstring in preparation for shooting
2. Describing the position of a projectile that has been placed into the notch of a bowstring
3. Indicating an arrow that is ready for launch due to being secured at the correct point on the string

Etymology: The past tense "nocked" comes from the verb "nock", which in its earliest English use named the notch at the end of an arrow, the groove that holds the bowstring. The verb to nock an arrow is simply to fit that notch onto the string, so the verb grew out of the noun rather than the other way round. The noun itself appears in Middle English as "nokke" from the 14th century. Its likely source is a North Germanic language, where a similar word meant "notch", and Dutch preserves a close relative, "nok", meaning "tip" or "point". Both sets of meanings fit the basic idea of a small cut or projection, and the word may be related to "nook", a corner or recess.

Synonyms: notched, fitted, loaded, placed

Antonyms: unloaded, removed