longbow

long·bow | \ ˈlȯŋ-ˌbō

How to pronounce longbow (audio)

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Definition of longbow

: a hand-drawn wooden bow held vertically and used especially by medieval English archers

Examples of longbow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The English longbow was a powerful medieval weapon said to be able to pierce an opponent's armor and may have been a decisive factor in several key military victories, most notably the Battle of Agincourt. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Medieval arrows caused injuries similar to gunshot wounds, study finds," 13 May 2020 Historians continue to debate just how effective the longbow was in battle. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Medieval arrows caused injuries similar to gunshot wounds, study finds," 13 May 2020 An appreciation for the graceful shape of a recurve or longbow is intuitive in people of all ages and instills the urge to brace an arrow and let one fly. — The Editors, Outdoor Life, "Three Ways to Get Kids Interested in Archery," 20 Nov. 2019 That’s why traditional recurves and longbows never go out of style—because style is front and center. — Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, "How Does a Custom Recurve Bow Get Made?," 13 Nov. 2019 But in that context, hunting with a longbow was more important to me than killing that bear. — Tyler Freel, Outdoor Life, "How Hard Does Hunting Have to Be?," 30 Dec. 2019 Grab your longbow, braid your hair, and hop on the train to the Capital, because Suzanne Collins is taking us back to Panem. — Meagan Fredette, refinery29.com, "The Hunger Games Aren’t Over — There’s A Prequel On The Way In 2020," 24 June 2019 The longbow and crossbow gave way to the firearm, the horse and rider gave way to the tank, and the battleship gave way to the aircraft carrier. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Is the Age of the Aircraft Carrier Coming to an End?," 29 Aug. 2016 Here, Spink walks you through the process of making your own 68-inch Native American longbow, as well as the arrows. — Andrew Del-colle And Lara Sorokanich, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make a Bow and Arrow By Hand," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'longbow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Longbow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/longbow. Accessed 7 Jun. 2020.

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