Definition

A type of bow that is tall and made of wood, used for shooting arrows, especially in medieval times.

Example

The archer skillfully drew back the string of his longbow before releasing the arrow.

Conversation

Have you ever tried using a longbow for archery?

No, I haven't, but it sounds really interesting!

I think it would be cool to learn how to shoot a longbow like they did in medieval times.

Definitely! I bet it takes a lot of skill and practice.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Longbow → The word is formed from "long" (from Old English "lang", meaning having a great distance) and "bow" (from Old English "boga", meaning a curved weapon used for shooting arrows). The term "longbow" refers to a type of bow that is notably long in length, used historically in archery.

Memory Tip

Think of something that is 'great in distance' ('long') and a 'curved weapon' ('bow') — together, they describe a longbow, which is a bow that is long.

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