arrow

plural arrows

1. 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.

   1577, Raphaell Holinshed; Richarde Stanyhurst [i.e., Richard Stanihurst], “[The Historie of Irelande […].] The Thirde Booke of the Historie of Ireland, Comprising the Raigne of Henry the Eyght: ….”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Hunne, →OCLC, pages 77–78, column 2

   1 more example

   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.

   1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC

   Synonyms: streal

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

   1 more example

   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.

   1968, Robert R. Stoll, Edward T. Wong, Linear Algebra, London: Academic Press, →LCCN, pages 2–3

3. graph theoryA directed edge.

   Synonyms: arc, directed edge

4. category theoryA morphism.
5. colloquialdartsA 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.

   2014, John Eaton, It's Gonna Rain All Night, page 182

6. computingThe -> symbol, which has specific meanings in various programming languages.
7. biologyThe 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.

   1921, The Louisiana Planter and Sugar Manufacturer, volume 67, page 187

present singular third person arrows · participle present arrowing · participle past arrowed · past arrowed

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

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

   2019, Maaza Mengiste, The Shadow King, Canongate Books (2020), page 279

2. transitiveTo 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.

   2012 April 9, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport

3. intransitivebiologyTo develop an inflorescence.

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

   1905, Sugar-Cane Experiments in the Leeward Islands

   2 more examples

   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.

   1848, Louis Antoine A.G. De Verteuil, Three essays on the cultivation of the sugar-cane in Trinidad, page 12

   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.

   1903, Planter and Sugar Manufacturer, volume 30, page 374

4. intransitivecomputingTo navigate using the arrow keys.

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

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

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

   2011, Susan Tsang, Audrey Perera, Singapore at Random, →ISBN, page 36

1. abbreviationcontractionobsoleteContraction of ever + a, sometimes used with a redundant a or an.

   though he hath lived here this many years, I don't believe there is arrow a servant in the house ever saw the colour of his money.

   1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 153

1. A surname.
2. A village on the River Arrow in Arrow with Weethley parish, Stratford-on-Avon district, Warwickshire, England (OS grid ref SP0856).
3. A river in Warwickshire and Worcestershire, England, which flows into the Warwickshire Avon.
4. A river in Powys, Wales and Herefordshire, England, which flows into the River Lugg.
5. A river in Otago, New Zealand, which flows through Arrowtown to the Kawarau River.
6. An unincorporated community and old coal town in Pike County, Kentucky, United States.