arrowhead

noun

ar·​row·​head ˈer-ō-ˌhed How to pronounce arrowhead (audio)
ˈer-ə-,
ˈa-rō-,
ˈa-rə-
1
: a wedge-shaped piercing tip usually fixed to an arrow
2
: something resembling an arrowhead
3
: any of a genus (Sagittaria) of marsh or aquatic plants of the water-plantain family with leaves shaped like arrowheads

Illustration of arrowhead

Illustration of arrowhead
  • arrowhead 1

Examples of arrowhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The early articles often referred to findings of Native American artifacts – projectile points (arrowheads), knives, tomahawks, soapstone bowls and other evidence of the people who had campsites here, some dating back to 3,000 years before the present. Mary Ann Ashcraft, Baltimore Sun, 27 Jan. 2024 While tools using a single element like flaked stone or a wooden stick are fairly common and relatively simple to construct, making complex, multi-part tools, like arrowheads hafted onto spears, is much more cognitively demanding and occurs more recently in our evolutionary history. Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023 Last year, research revealed that an arrowhead found in Switzerland was made from meteoritic iron. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 Gladstone was likely referring to the latter, which has notably faced pushback over its name and arrowhead logo. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 11 Feb. 2024 The pointed end of the sinker is supposed to drive into a sand bottom like an arrowhead, and subsequent wave action should wash more sand over the wide base burying the sinker. Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 26 Oct. 2023 Archaeologists also recovered Native American arrowheads, as well as more recent items such as appliances and vehicle parts. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023 Per Kangas et al., another 16th-century scholar named Mercati noted a striking resemblance of thunderstones to arrowheads brought back from the Americas, but his observation wasn't published until more than 100 years after the scholar's death. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 19 Oct. 2023 Archaeologists aren’t sure what the arrowhead would have been used for during the Bronze Age. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arrowhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English arowe-heed, from arowe arrow entry 1 + heed head entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arrowhead was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near arrowhead

Cite this Entry

“Arrowhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrowhead. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arrowhead

noun
ar·​row·​head -ˌhed How to pronounce arrowhead (audio)
1
: the wedge-shaped striking end of an arrow
2
: something (as a mark) resembling an arrowhead

More from Merriam-Webster on arrowhead

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