crossbow

noun

cross·​bow ˈkrȯs-ˌbō 

: a weapon for shooting quarrels and stones that consists chiefly of a short bow mounted crosswise near the end of a stock

Illustration of crossbow

Examples of crossbow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In Britain, a man who had recently watched about ten of Tate’s videos raped his ex-girlfriend and murdered her, her mother, and her sister using a crossbow. — Heidi Blake, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Remily said 30 guns and a crossbow, belonging to the parents of one of the teens, were recovered as part of their investigation. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 May 2026

In ten episodes of this comedy series, viewers will learn how to make a vibrator out of a toothbrush and a crossbow out of a coat hanger alongside young first-time convict David Broulík. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 8 June 2026

Danger also took center stage when married duo Tyrone Laner and Margo Tsarova showcased their high-risk knife-throwing and crossbow act. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 3 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for crossbow

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

crossbow

noun

cross·​bow -ˌbō 

: a short bow mounted crosswise near the end of a wooden stock that shoots short arrows