List 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.

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A

*Aluminium (material) - Used in modern archery for the production of arrows
*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
*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
*Bracer (equipment) - A protective strap or sheath for an archer's forearm (a.k.a. arm guard)
*Broadhead (equipment) - A sharp-bladed hunting head
*Butts (location) - A practice field with mounds of earth used as targets

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 shoot (practice) - An archery game in which arrows are shot at an arc toward a flat target laid out on the ground
*Cock feather (equipment) - A differently-colored fletch that indicates proper arrow alignment (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 that shoots bolts or Quarrels

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 arms 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) [Schulyer, Keith C. (1970), "Archery, From Golds to Big Game", A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc., ISBN-10: 0498069613, p. 128]
*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
*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 and attaches fletching for 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

*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) - One of two like-colored vanes on an arrow that is not the index 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 bow without significant recurve
*Loose (practice) - The act of shooting an arrow from a bow (a.k.a. Release)

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
*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 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

*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 the main fiber
*Shaft (equipment) - The main structural element of an arrow
*Shooting glove (equipment) - Protective gear for an archer's fingers
*Spine (measure) - The stiffness of an arrow shaft; contrasted with Flex
*Stabilizer (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 (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) - The front end of an arrow; also known as the arrowhead, head or point

U

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 [Schulyer, p. 494]
*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 [Hansard, George Hagar (1841), [http://www.archerylibrary.com/books/book_of_archery/chapter08/chapter8.html "Of Yew Trees, Yew Bows, &c, &c,"] Section VIII, "The Book of Archery," [http://www.archerylibrary.com The Archery Library] ]
*Yumi (equipment) - An asymmetric Japanese bow; includes both long and short varieties (daikyu and hankyu)

Z

ee also

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

References