Glossary of archery terms

A

• Aluminium – Used in modern archery for the production of arrows
• Anchor point – A point to be touched by the draw hand or string when the bow is fully drawn and ready to shoot, usually a point on the archer's mouth, chin or nose
• AMO – The Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization
• AMO length – A standardized length for measuring bow strings
• Arbalest – A late variation of the crossbow that came into use in Europe during the 12th century
• Archer – One who practices archery
• Archer's paradox – The effect produced by an arrow flexing as it leaves the bow
• Archery – The practice of using a bow to shoot arrows
• Arm guard – A protective strap or sheath for an archer's forearm
• Arrow – A shafted projectile that is shot with a bow
• Arrowhead – The front end of an arrow; also known as the head, point or tip
• Arrow rest – A device used to hold the arrow against the handle until it is released
• ATA – The Archery Trade Association
• A.T.A. – Acronym for axle-to-axle, the length between the two pivotal axles which hold the cams onto the limbs on a compound bow
• ASA – Archery Shooters Association

  B

• Bodkin point – A sharp, pointed arrow head
• Bolt – A crossbow projectile; also called a quarrel
• Boss – A target, typically made from tightly compacted foam or straw
• Bowman – One who practices archery
• Bow – An ancient weapon powered by elasticity, used for hunting and sport
• Bowfishing – The use of archery equipment for catching fish
• Bowhunting – The practice of hunting game using archery
• Bow string – A fiber joining two ends of a bow for launching arrows
• Bowyer – One who makes bows
• Bracing – The act of attaching a bow string to a bow
• Brace height – The distance from the string to the pivot point of the bow's grip
• Bracer – A protective strap or sheath for an archer's forearm
• Broadhead – A sharp-bladed hunting head
• Bullseye – The central area of a target, often for which a greater number of points may be scored when hit
• Butts – A practice field with mounds of earth used as targets
• Button – An adjustable spring-loaded contact for the arrow as it sits on the rest, mounted perpendicular to the arrow

  C

• Carbon fiber – Used in modern archery for the production of arrows
• Clicker – A device used to indicate an archer's optimum draw length
• Clout archery – A form of archery in which archers shoot arrows toward a flag from a relatively long distance and are scored based on how close each arrow lands to the flag
• Cock feather – A differently-colored fletch that indicates proper arrow alignment on the string
• Composite bow – A bow made from various laminated materials
• Compound bow – A modern bow that uses a system of cables and pulleys
• Crest – Heraldic markings on an arrow used for identification or design
• Crossbow – A bow mounted on a stock, which shoots projectiles called bolts or quarrels
• Crown – The nock end of an arrow where cresting and paints are applied

  D

• Daikyu – A Japanese longbow
• Decurve bow – A form of bow in which the unstrung tips curve toward the archer
• Deflex bow – A form of bow in which the entire length of the handle and limbs curve toward the archer
• Drawing – The act of pulling the string that is attached to the bow.
• Draw length – Archer: individual measure. At full draw the distance in inches from nock point on bow string to deepest grip spot plus . Bow: characteristic measure of the bow together with its draw weight. The technically given optimal draw length for full draw of that bow. Draw weight of a bow means weight at its draw length.
• Draw weight – The number of pounds of force required to draw a bow to its draw length
• Dry loosing – refers to the loosing of the string of a bow without an arrow on the nock, potentially damaging the bow

  E

• End – A round of arrows shot during an archery event
• English longbow – A powerful medieval bow; also known as the Welsh longbow

  F

• Feet per second – Unit of measurement for arrow velocity
• Fiberglass – Used in modern archery equipment for the production of both bows and arrows
• Field archery – Shooting at targets of unmarked distances in an open field
• Field tip – A practice head for targets
• Finger tab – A small leather patch to protect the archer's fingers
• Fistmele – The proper distance between the handle of a bow and the bow string when the bow is strung
• Flatbow – A non-recurved bow with a rectangular cross section
• Fletching – The stabilizing fins or vanes of an arrow
• Fletcher – One who makes arrows
• Flex – The amount of bend an arrow shaft provides; contrasted with spine
• Flu-flu arrow – A specially designed short-range arrow
• Footed arrow – An arrow with a shaft composed of two types of wood

  G

• Game – Non-domesticated animals hunted for food or sport
• Glove – Protective gear for an archer's fingers
• Gungdo – The Korean practice of archery

  H

• Hankyu – A short Japanese bow
• Hybrid – A term to describe the combination of a recurve and a longbow, also known as "reflex/deflex"
• Head – The front end of an arrow; also known as the arrowhead, point or tip
• Hen feather – Name given to the shaft feathers based on misunderstanding of cock feather
• Horse archer – An archer mounted on a horse
• Horse archery – Archery mounting on a horse

  I

• Index fletching – A differently-coloured fletch that indicates proper arrow alignment

  J

• Judo point – A target and small-game head equipped with spring wires for easy location

  K

• Kisser – A button used to indicate consistent vertical distance when drawing a bow
• Kyūdō – The Japanese practice of archery

  L

• Longbow – A tall wooden bow with a D shaped cross-section, approximately the same height as the archer, without significant recurve
• Loose – The act of shooting an arrow from a bow
• Laminated bow – A bow with different materials laminated together to make a single bow
• Limb – The upper and lower arms of a bow
• Longrod – Rod attached to the bow to dampen vibrations

  M

• Majra – an overdraw device used in Turkish archery
• Mounted archer – an archer mounted on a horse
• Mounted archery – Archery mounting on a horse
• Mongolian draw – the act of drawing a bow with the thumb

  N

• Nock – The notch at the rear end of an arrow; also the notches at the ends of the bow limbs to which the bowstring is attached, or looped over
• Nock – The act of setting an arrow in a bow
• Nocking point – The point on a bow string over which an arrow nock is placed

  O

• Overdraw – The use of a device, e.g. a siper, to allow the shooting of arrows shorter than the draw of the bow
• Overdrawn – A condition in which a bow string is too short for the bow; fistmele is exceeded

  P

• Plunger or pressure button – A device used to correct an arrow's flex at the point of release
• Point – The front end of an arrow; also known as the arrowhead, head or tip
• Poisons – Toxic additions to arrow heads in order to increase hunting effectiveness

  Q

• Quarrel – A crossbow projectile; also called a bolt
• Quiver – A container for an archer's projectiles

  R

• Recurve bow – A form of bow in which the unstrung tips curve away from the archer
• Reflex bow – A form of bow in which the entire length of the handle and arms curve away from the archer
• Release – The act of relaxing the finger of the drawing hand to free an arrow from a bow
• Release a small handheld object that can be clipped to a bowstring and releases when a trigger is pressed.
• Rest – A device used to hold the arrow against the handle until it is released
• Riser – The handle section of a bow
• Reloading – A term used for loading an arrow
• Run archery – Shooting discipline connecting archery with running

  S

• Safety arrow – Arrow with wide tip or padded head, often used for reenactments
• Self bow – A bow made from a single piece of material
• Serving – Extra thread wound around a bow string in order to support or protect the main fiber
• Shaft – The main structural element of an arrow
• Shaftment – Part of the arrow upon which the fletchings lie
• Shaft feathers – The two feathers which oppose the cock feather
• Shooting glove – Protective gear for an archer's fingers
• Siper – an overdraw device used in Turkish archery
• Spine – The stiffness of an arrow shaft; contrasted with flex
• Stabiliser – A weighted rod or set of rods used to provide balance to a bow
• – A strip of wood from which a bow may be made
• – The action of putting the bow in tension

  T

• Tab – A small leather patch to protect the archer's fingers
• Target – General term for the intended destination of a shot arrow
• Target archery – Shooting at non-moving targets placed varying distances away
• Target panic – Set of symptoms developed for psychological reasons resulting in lowered accuracy
• Target point – Bullet-shaped practice head, used for targets
• Target shooting – Competitive event that uses projectile weapons for tests of proficiency
• Thumb ring – Protective ring for an archer's thumb
• – Either end of the bow, as differentiated from the point of an arrow
• Tong-ah – an overdraw device used in traditional Korean archery, similar to the Turkish Majra

  U

• Upshot – The last shot in an archery contest

  V

• Vane – The stabilizing fin of an arrow

  W

• Wand shoot – An archery event in which arrows are shot at a slat of soft wood that is typically 6' tall and 2" wide
• Welsh longbow – A powerful medieval bow; also known as an English longbow
• Wood – The earliest material used for the construction of bows and arrows

  Y

• Ya – An asymmetric Japanese arrow
• Yabusame – A type of mounted archery practiced in Japan
• Yew – A type of wood traditionally used to make bows
• Yumi – An asymmetric Japanese bow; includes both long and short varieties