Glossary of archery terms

This is a List of archery terms, including both the equipment and the practice. Aside from the wiki link associated with each word or phrase, (or a indicating the need for an article) a brief description is also included.

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
• 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) - The main projectile in Archery
• 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) - An acronym for "Axel-To-Axel", the length between the two pivotal axels which hold the cams onto the limbs on a compound bow.

B

• Blunt (equipment) - An unsharpened arrowhead used for targets and small game
• 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 taking game using archery
• Bow string (equipment) - A fiber joining two ends of a bow for launching arrows
• Bowyer (craftsman) - One who makes bows
• Brace (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 in a perpendicular direction 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 laminating various materials together
• 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 an arrow against a bow string in readiness for shooting
• Draw weight (measure) - The number of pounds of force required to draw a bow twenty-eight (28) inches

E

• End (Practice) - A round of arrows shot during an archery event (rarely more than six arrows)^[1]
• English longbow (equipment) - A powerful medieval bow; also known as the Welsh longbow

F

• 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 (a.k.a. Tab)
• 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 (each individual fin is a fletch)
• Fletcher (craftsman) - 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 art of archery

H

Fletching showing index feather (a.k.a. cock feather - green) and hen feathers (pink)

• Hankyu (equipment) - A short Japanese bow
• Head (equipment) - The front end of an arrow; also known as the arrowhead, point or tip
• Hen feather (equipment) - Name incorrectly 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-colored fletch that indicates proper arrow alignment (a.k.a. Cock fletching)

J

• Judo points (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 art 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 vibration.

M

• Mounted archer (practitioner) - An archer mounted on a horse
• Mongolian draw (practice) - The act of drawing a bow with one's thumb (a.k.a. Mongolian release)

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

• Overdrawn (measure) - A condition in which a bow string is too short for the bow; fistmele is exceeded

P

• Plunger/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 firing 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 (a.k.a. Arrow rest)
• Riser (equipment) - The handle section of a Bow

S

• Safety arrow (equipment) - Arrow with Wide tip or padded head 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) those two which oppose the cock feather
• Shooting glove (equipment) - Protective gear for an archer's fingers
• Spine (measure) - The stiffness of an arrow shaft; contrasted with Flex
• Stabilizer/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

.Stacking

T

• Tab (equipment) - A small leather patch to protect the archer's fingers (a.k.a. Finger tab)
• 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 point (equipment) - Bullet-shaped practice head 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

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^[2]
• Welsh longbow (equipment) - A powerful medieval bow; also known as the 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^[3]
• Yumi (equipment) - An asymmetric Japanese bow; includes both long and short varieties (daikyu and hankyu)

See also

• Archery
• Archery games
• Bowhunting
• Field archery
• History of archery
• Ranged weapon
• Target archery

References

Archery History Chinese Turkish History of crossbows Modern competitive archery Topics Archer's paradox Bow and arrow Mounted archery Bows Bow shape Arbalest Cable-backed bow Composite bow Compound bow Crossbow English longbow Flatbow Gungdo Holmegaard bow Laminated bow Longbow Mongol bow Recurve bow Self bow Yumi Equipment Arrow Arrowhead Bowstring Bracer Cresting machine Finger tab Fletching Flu-flu arrow Quarrel Quiver Thumb ring Activities Archery games Bowfishing Bowhunting Clout archery Field archery Popinjay Target archery Competitions World Archery Federation World Archery Rankings World Archery Championships Archery World Cup Archery at the Summer Olympics Archery at the Summer Paralympics Glossary of archery terms