arrow — English Dictionary

Noun

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

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   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.

   Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

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

   Examples

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   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. A directed edge.

4. A morphism.

5. A dart.

   Usage

   • Colloquial

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   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.

6. The -> symbol, which has specific meanings in various programming languages.

7. The inflorescence or tassel of a mature sugar cane plant.

   Examples

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   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.

Verb

1. To move swiftly and directly (like an arrow).

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

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

2. To let fly swiftly and directly.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

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

3. To develop an inflorescence.

   Usage

   • Intransitive
   • of a sugar cane plant

   Examples

   More examples (2)

   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.

   In some sugar cane countries efforts are made to harvest the cane crops before the period of arrowing, and in Barbados it is thought that a considerable loss occurs in the yield of sugar if the harvest be delayed and only completed through the arrowing season.

   It is easily grown and arrows freely. It appears to be of moderate merit only, but might be cautiously tried on a small scale.

4. To navigate using the arrow keys.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

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

5. To single out or nominate (someone) to be responsible for something, especially an undesirable task.

   Usage

   • Singapore
   • Singlish
   • Transitive

   Examples

   Just because I never come for meeting … my boss arrow me to do this job.

Noun

1. a mark to indicate a direction or relation

   Synonyms

   pointer

   Broader terms

   mark

2. 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

   Broader terms

   projectilemissile