crossbow

[kraws-boh, kros-]

noun

1. a medieval weapon consisting of a bow fixed transversely on a stock having a trigger mechanism to release the bowstring, and often incorporating or accompanied by a mechanism for bending the bow.

crossbow

/ ˈkrɒsˌbəʊ /

noun

1. a type of medieval bow fixed transversely on a wooden stock grooved to direct a square-headed arrow (quarrel)

Other Word Forms

• crossbowman noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of crossbow¹

First recorded in 1400–50, crossbow is from the late Middle English word crossbowe. See cross, bow ²

Example Sentences

A Covid denier amassed an armoury of blades, crossbows and arrows as he called for a violent uprising during the pandemic, a court has heard.

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A man has admitted attempting to murder three armed police officers in a crossbow attack at his home in Dundee.

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He said two companies, Merlin Archery and Tactical Archery, had declined to sell him a crossbow in October 2023.

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On March 27, Benjamin Grayson, the deputy chief of staff at the Small Business Administration, sent an email to Samuel Scales, a United States Trade Representative staffer, concerning a Florida-based crossbow manufacturer, Barnett Crossbows.

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At the time, officers seized six air weapons, a samurai sword, three crossbows and bolts, six knives and a stun gun.

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