Puneet Varma (Editor)

Glossary of archery terms

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Glossary of archery terms

This is a list of archery terms, including both the equipment and the practice. A brief description for each word or phrase is also included.

Contents

A

  • Aluminium (material) – 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 (organization) – The Archery Manufacturers and Merchants Organization (now known as the ATA)
  • AMO length (measure) – 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 (practitioner) – One who practices archery (a.k.a. bowman)
  • Archer's paradox (effect) – The effect produced by an arrow flexing as it leaves the bow
  • Archery (practice) – The practice of using a bow to shoot arrows
  • Arm guard (equipment) – A protective strap or sheath for an archer's forearm (a.k.a. bracer)
  • Arrow (equipment) – A shafted projectile that is shot with a bow
  • Arrowhead (equipment) – The front end of an arrow; also known as the head, point or tip
  • Arrow rest (equipment) – A device used to hold the arrow against the handle until it is released
  • ATA (organization) – The Archery Trade Association (formerly known as the AMO)
  • A.T.A. (measure) – 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 (equipment) – A sharp, pointed arrow head
  • Bolt (equipment) - A crossbow projectile; also called a quarrel
  • Boss (equipment) – A target, typically made from tightly compacted foam or straw
  • Bowman (practitioner) – One who practices archery (a.k.a. archer)
  • Bow (equipment) – An ancient weapon powered by elasticity, used for hunting and sport
  • Bowfishing (practice) – The use of archery equipment for catching fish
  • Bowhunting (practice) – The practice of hunting game using archery
  • Bow string (equipment) – A fiber joining two ends of a bow for launching arrows
  • Bowyer (craftsman) – One who makes bows
  • Bracing (practice) – The act of attaching a bow string to a bow
  • Brace height (measure) – The distance from the string to the pivot point of the bow's grip
  • Bracer (equipment) – A protective strap or sheath for an archer's forearm (a.k.a. arm guard)
  • Broadhead (equipment) – A sharp-bladed hunting head
  • Bullseye (equipment) – The central area of a target, often for which a greater number of points may be scored when hit
  • Butts (location) – A practice field with mounds of earth used as targets
  • Button (equipment) – An adjustable spring-loaded contact for the arrow as it sits on the rest, mounted perpendicular to the arrow

    • C

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

    • D

  • Daikyu (equipment) - A Japanese longbow
  • Decurve bow (equipment) - A form of bow in which the unstrung tips curve toward the archer
  • Deflex bow (equipment) - A form of bow in which the entire length of the handle and limbs curve toward the archer
  • Drawing (practice) - The act of pulling the string that is attached to the bow.
  • Draw length (measure) – Archer: individual measure. At full draw the distance in inches from nock point on bow string to deepest grip spot (pivot-point) plus 1 3/4″ (AMO standard). Bow: characteristic measure of the bow together with its draw weight. The technically given optimal draw length for full draw of that bow (AMO standard). Draw weight of a bow means weight at its draw length.
  • Draw weight (measure) - The number of pounds of force required to draw a bow to its draw length
  • Dry loosing (practice) - refers to the loosing of the string of a bow without an arrow on the nock, potentially damaging the bow

    • E

  • End (practice) - A round of arrows shot during an archery event (rarely more than six)
  • English longbow (equipment) - A powerful medieval bow; also known as the Welsh longbow

    • F

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

    • G

  • Game (target) - Non-domesticated animals hunted for food or sport
  • Glove (equipment) - Protective gear for an archer's fingers (a.k.a. shooting glove)
  • Gungdo (practice) - The Korean practice of archery

    • H

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

    • I

  • Index fletching (equipment) - A differently-coloured fletch that indicates proper arrow alignment (a.k.a. cock fletching)

    • J

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

    • K

  • Kisser (equipment) - A button used to indicate consistent vertical distance when drawing a bow
  • Kyudo (practice) - The Japanese practice of archery

    • L

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

    • M

  • Majra (equipment) - an overdraw device used in Turkish archery
  • Mounted archer (practitioner) - an archer mounted on a horse
  • Mongolian draw (practice) - the act of drawing a bow with the thumb

    • N

  • Nock (equipment) - 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 (practice) - The act of setting an arrow in a bow
  • Nocking point (equipment) - The point on a bow string over which an arrow nock is placed

    • O

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

    • P

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

    • Q

  • Quarrel (equipment) - A crossbow projectile; also called a bolt
  • Quiver (equipment) - A container for an archer's projectiles

    • R

  • Recurve bow (equipment) - A form of bow in which the unstrung tips curve away from the archer
  • Reflex bow (equipment) - A form of bow in which the entire length of the handle and arms curve away from the archer
  • Release (practice) - The act of relaxing the finger(s) of the drawing hand (see Bow draw) to free an arrow from a bow (a.k.a. loose)
  • Rest (equipment) - A device used to hold the arrow against the handle until it is released
  • Riser (equipment) - The handle section of a bow
  • Reloading (term) - A term used for loading an arrow

    • S

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

    • T

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

    • U

  • Upshot - The last shot in an archery contest

    • V

  • Vane (equipment) - The stabilizing fin of an arrow

    • W

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

    • Y

  • Yabusame (practice) - A type of mounted archery practiced in Japan
  • Yew (material) - A type of wood traditionally used to make bows
  • Yumi (equipment) - An asymmetric Japanese bow; includes both long and short varieties (daikyu and hankyu)

    • References

    Glossary of archery terms Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics