• (RP) IPA: /ˈæɹəʊ/
• (America)
  • (nMmmm) IPA: /ˈæɹoʊ/
  • (Mmmm) IPA: /ˈɛ(ə)ɹoʊ/
• (Estuary English, Southern US) IPA: /ˈæɹə/

From Middle English arwe, from Old English earh (oblique form ēarw-), from Proto-West Germanic *arhu, from Proto-Germanic *arhwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂érkʷo-.

arrow (plural arrows)

1. A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.
   • 1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[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:

     The Citizens in their rage, imagining that euery poſt in the Churche had bin one of y^e 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.

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

     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. →).
3. (graph theory) A directed edge.
4. (colloquial, darts) A dart.
   • 2014, John Eaton, It's Gonna Rain All Night, page 182:

     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.

5. (computing) The -> symbol, which has specific meanings in various programming languages.
6. (botany) The inflorescence or tassel of a mature sugar cane plant.

• (projectile) streal
• (in graph theory) arc, directed edge

• French: flèche
• German: Pfeil
• Italian: freccia
• Portuguese: flecha, seta
• Russian: стрела́
• Spanish: flecha, saeta

• French: flèche
• German: Pfeil
• Italian: freccia
• Portuguese: seta
• Russian: стре́лка
• Spanish: flecha

arrow (arrows, present participle arrowing; simple past and past participle arrowed)

1. (intransitive) To move swiftly and directly (like an arrow).
2. (transitive) To let fly swiftly and directly.
3. (intransitive, botany, of a sugar cane plant) To develop an inflorescence.
4. (computing, intransitive) To navigate using the arrow keys.

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

Representing pronunciation.

1. Surname.
2. A village on the River Arrow in Arrow with Weethley (OS grid ref SP0856).
3. A river in Warwickshire, and, which flows into the Warwickshire Avon.
4. A river in Powys, Wales, which flows into the River Lugg.
5. A river in Central Otago, New Zealand, which flows through Arrowtown to the Kawarau River.
6. An unincorporated community and old coal town in Pike County.