arrow

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.

   The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of yᵉ Souldyers, ſhot habbe or nabbe at randon^([sic – meaning random]) uppe to the Roode lofte, and to the Chancell, leauing ſome of theyr arrowes ſticking in the Images.

2. 2
   noun

   A sign or symbol used to indicate a direction (e.g.→).

   Consider now the arrow with initial point A and terminal point B; this arrow we shall designate by #92;overrightarrow#123;AB#125;. If a#95;1,a#95;2,a#95;3, and b#95;1,b#95;2,b#95;3 are the coordinates of A and B, respectively, then #92;overrightarrow#123;AB#125; is equal to the arrow #92;overrightarrow#123;OP#125;, where O is the origin of the coordinate system and P has coordinates b#95;1-a#95;1,b#95;2-a#95;2,b#95;3-a#95;3. Thus each arrow is equal to one having the origin as its initial point.

3. 3
   noun

   A dart.

   The second arrow flew through the air in a drunken parabolic curve and nestled just below the previous dart. Twenty! “Good arrows!” came from all around the room. Total silence came from the opposition corner.

4. 4
   noun

   The inflorescence or tassel of a mature sugar cane plant.

   When the bulb of the “blowing ball” is operated, a gentle spray, much like what happens in Nature when a sugar cane arrow is shaken by the wind or gently tapped, is given out at the free end of the capsule and can be directed to any portion of the arrow as desired.

5. 5
   verb

   To move swiftly and directly (like an arrow).

   Above his head, a startled bird arrows up, into the sun.

6. 6
   verb

   To let fly swiftly and directly.

   Jermain Defoe dinked in an equaliser and Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for the hosts before Elliott Bennett arrowed in Norwich's winner.

7. 7
   verb

   To develop an inflorescence.

   The more vigorous and luxuriant the vegetation of a field of canes, the less will the tendency to flowering be shewn; whereas nearly all the canes will be found to arrow if the soil be poor and the vegetation meagre.

8. 8
   verb

   To navigate using the arrow keys.

   Arrow left until you reach the start of the text you want to delete.

Etymology

From Middle English arwe, from Old English earh (“arrow”) (oblique form ēarw-), from Proto-West Germanic *arhu (“arrow”), from Proto-Germanic *arhwō (“arrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂érkʷo- (“bow, arrow”). Cognate with Faroese ørv, ørvur (“arrow”), Icelandic ör (“arrow”), örvar (“arrows”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌶𐌽𐌰 (arƕazna, “dart”), Asturian and Leonese arcu (“arrow”), Aragonese, Galician, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish arco (“arrow”), Catalan, French, and Romanian arc (“arrow”), Latin arcus (“bow”). Doublet of arch, arc, arco, and arcus.