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Bow'n Dictionary of
Traditional Archery Terms

This page provides a dictionary of common traditional archery terms for the
student of archery (toxophilite). Cross references are hyperlinked within the document.
A classification of these terms, showing the relationships between terms
is provided by the Toxophilus Taxonomy. See also Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
Hint: Either use the find command on your browser, or use the alphabet below, to locate desired terms.

3-under release or 3-fingers-under / A release technique which is a modification of the Mediterranean release, but where the engaged arrow rests above the first three fingers (and below the nock locator). Also called Apache release, since this release was used by Apache archers.
3D round or 3D shoot / See definition in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
3D target / A three dimensional, usually life-size, animal target used to practice bowhunting. Usually constructed out of dense foam and colored in natural colors.

actual draw weight / The draw weight measured with a scale at full draw with an arrow that is to be shot. Compare with calculated draw weight.
aim / To endeavor to direct an arrow in the correct trajectory for hitting the mark. As Maurice Thompson stated [1878, pp. 265-266], "There is no such thing as 'taking aim' with an arrow. He is a bungling archer who attempts it ... when at fulldraw, the bow should not be held more than a second." See aiming style. Also see holding.
American longbow / A longbow with a limb whose section is more flat than round, often rectangular, dipping from a deep handgrip (a flatbow). Introduced in the US in the 1930's and 1940's (based on bows used by a west coast native American tribe). A rectangular cross-section was demonstrated by Robert Elmer to be a more efficient limb design, then the round or D-bow. Compare with English longbow.
American round / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
AMO / Archery Manufacturer's Organization which set standards for archery equipment, e.g., see standard draw weight.
ancient bows / See historical bows.
anchor / (noun) See anchor point.
anchor / (verb) To draw the bow to the anchor point. Compare with holding. Also see aim.
anchor point / The location on your face which you bring the string fingers to when you are at full draw (e.g., the middle finger, to the corner of the mouth for a Mediterranean release, or index finger for the 3-under release). "An anchor is a reference point; an anchor [point] is not a resting place," G. Fred Asbell.
Apache release / See 3-under release.
APOA / Artificial Point-of-Aim.
archer / One who shoots with, or is skilled in the use of, a bow and arrow.
archer's paradox / The fact that an arrow that is the proper size (and spine) for the bow, when shot, will follow the line of aim, even though the arrow when on the rest is pointed to the left (on a right handed bow).
archeress / A female archer.
archeria / In medieval fortification, an aperture or loophole through which the archers can shoot.
archery / The art, practice, or skill of shooting with a bow and arrow.
armguard / A piece of stiff material (traditionally leather) attached to the inner side of the lower arm and wrist of the bowarm to protect it from the bowstring when the arrow is released. Also called a bracer.
armiger / The bearer of a Coat of Arms, either by confirmation or by grant. Typically, a knight or higher class. See History of Heraldry.
arrow / A (sometimes) straight, slender rod, usually fletched and tipped, that is the projectile shot from a bow. Arrows are described by their thickness, length, spine, and shaftment. There are various types of arrows based on the shaft design, its purpose (arrow type), the form of its arrowhead, the type of fletching (or specifically the cut or burn). Sometimes arrows are classified by people, country, or area of origin (e.g., Yahi arrow). [See TM Magazine, Dec/Jan 1997, A Shot From The Past, "Classic American Hunting Arrows".]
arrow flaker / 1) An instrument made of antler, bone, iron or other hard material used to chip small flakes of obsidian off of a larger mass, in the creation of obsidian arrowheads. 2) One who uses an arrow flaker, see flintknapper.
arrow length / The measurement from the bottom of the arrownock to the back of the arrowhead.
arrow plate / A piece of leather, shell, bone or other material, typically glued to the side of the bow just above the arrow shelf of the bow. It provides protection for the bow from the friction of the arrow.
arrow rest / A small protrusion on the bow at the point where the arrow will rest during the draw. Instinctive archers typically shoot off-the-shelf, where the arrow rest is the arrow shelf, so that the arrow is located as close to the bowhand as possible. Pin-shooters often use an elevated rest. See rug rest.
arrowshaft / A component of a finished arrow. Also see shaft.
arrow shelf / A shelf cut into the side of the bow just above the grip in which the arrow can lay upon. This also can be a wedge glued to the side of the bow. May also form the arrow rest and the sight window. See off-the-shelf.
arrow weight / The weight of an arrow. When making an arrow, the weight of the shaft from which an arrow is made and the arrowhead are important. The weight is dependent on the shaft thickness, shaft length, shaftment, density of the growth rings, and other factors.
arrowhead / The striking end of the arrow, usually a separate piece fastened to the shaft. Compare with the foot of an arrow.
arrownock / 1) The slot in the end of an arrow for the bowstring (see self arrow). 2) A notched ferrule, or nock piece, of plastic or metal that is attached to the end of the arrow, to accept the bowstring. The arrownock should be perpendicular to the flat grain layers of a natural wood arrow.
arrowsmith / A maker of metal arrowheads. He supplies the fletcher who assembled the complete arrow. Compare with flintknapper.
Artificial Point-of-Aim (APOA) / A point-of-aim technique, sometimes used for target archery, where a cloth, stake, or other non-natural item is used for aiming the arrow. Compare with natural point-of-aim.
artiller / One who makes artillery.
artillery / 1) Originally, bows and arrows. 2) Later, all projectile weapons.
Ascham / pronounced "ask-am," not "ash-am": A tall narrow locker or closet for bows and arrows usually 6.5 feet tall, 2+ feet wide, and 1 foot deep with a shelf 18 inches from the bottom with holes for bows and arrows to stand. Also typically having hooks on the inside walls to hang belt, quiver, bracer, gloves, etc.. Possibly lined with green plush or velvet. Named after Roger Ascham (1515-1568) who recorded the five partitions in Toxophilus. [Not to be confused with William of Ockham and Occam's razor.]
Ascham's five partitions / See five partitions.
Ashcott Heath Bow / A historical bow, a little younger than the Meare Heath Bow (2,665 BC), also found it Somerset. Unlike the Meare Heath, this bow has a flat back, with sides and belly rounded and deeply stacked. It is 63 inches long.
Asiatic release / See Mongolian release.

back / (of the bow) The side of the bow away from the string. The side of the bow that is toward the mark when shooting, which may have a backing. Compare with belly.
back / (verb) To attaching the backing to a bow.
backed bow / A bow, usually a selfbow, with a backing generally used to strengthen the bow. May be a laminated bow (e.g., snakewood backed with hickory).
backing / (noun) The material (fiberglass, sinew, snakeskin, wood, rawhide, etc.) that is attached to the back of the bow. See core and belly (or face).
barb / A point that stands backward in an arrowhead to prevent it from being easily extracted.
barebow / The style of shooting that does not allow for the use of sights, stabilizers, or other shooting aids. Compare with freestyle. See also instinctive and point-of-aim.
barred / Referring to feathers or fletching from the wing or tail feathers (usually, secondary wing pinions) of a wild turkey, which have black stripes or bars on them. See faux barred.
barrel tapered / An arrow thickest in the center that tapers down on both ends. Sometimes used for flight arrows to lighten the arrow without reducing spine. Compare with bob-tailed and breasted.
barreled / See barrel tapered.
belly / The side of the bow facing the archer and string when shooting; thus the inner surface of a drawn bow. Also called the face of the bow. Compare with back.
billet / A long trimmed piece of wood that is to be made into a bow; usually fine grained, without nocks, wind goals, pits, or twists and seasoned for 3 years or so. Also called a bow stave.
birdpoint / See judo or blunt points.
blazon / The description (or taxonomy) of an arms. The blazon describes the shield with its Blazon Components, then it describes the other Parts of the Arms. The blazon must conform to the Composition Rules of Blazonry, which have evolved throughout the History of Heraldry. For an example see the Bowen blazon.
blazonry / "The special language of heraldry that depicts a shield of arms using a cant vocabulary in a prescribed sequence beginning with the surface of the shield" - Metzig. See herald and officer of arms.
blunt / 1) An arrow without a sharp arrowhead. 2) An arrowhead with a flat or round striking surface usually used for roving or hunting small game. May use a spent rifle cartrige, a manufactured rubber tip, or other device. See judo point.
bobtail (or bob-tailed) arrow / An arrow thickest adjacent to the foot, or at the arrowhead, and tapers toward the arrownock. Also called tapered. Compare with barrel tapered and breasted.
bodkin / A type of arrowhead, conical in shape, sometimes with three or four flat sides like a pyramid. Originally used to penetrate armor in warfare.
bois d'arc / (pronounced bow-dark) A French term meaning "wood of the arc." The French name for Osage orange, Maclura pomifea.
BONA / Bowhunters of North America, an archery association.
bow / A weapon made of a long piece of flexible material, with a cord that connects the two ends. When bent, it is the means by which an arrow is propelled. The FITA rules define a bow as "an instrument consisting of a handle (grip), riser, and two flexible limbs each ending with a bow nock (or string nock). The bow is braced for use by a single bowstring attached directly between the two string nocks only." The sides are referred to as the back and belly. See also arrow shelf, arrow rest and sight window. Bows are often categorized by draw weight, bow type, bow construction, or the type of archery it is used for.
bow knot / See timberhitch.
bow limb / See limb.
bow nock / The notch at each tip of the bow which hold the bowstring when braced. Sometimes, on recurve bows, it is extended down the limb and called a string groove. May also be a tip of horn or other material, attached to each tip, that contains the notch, and possibly a hole for a string keeper or bow ribbon. Sometimes referred to as a string nock.
bow performance / It is the sum total of all the different aspects of shooting a bow, that makes it satisfy the individual. Common aspects are accuracy, smoothness of draw (vs. stack), handle comfort, degree of hand shock, quality, looks, durability, traveling convenience, arrow speed, and cast.
bow ribbon / A string keeper, especially one which fastens to a hole created in the upper bow nock.
bow riser / See riser.
bow shape / See limb cross-section or limb curvature.
bow square / A device, usually T-shaped, used to measure brace height and set the nocking point.
bow stave / See billet.
bow weight / See draw weight.
bowarm / The arm that holds the bow while shooting (the left arm for right-handers). Compare with drawing arm.
bowfishing / To fish with a bow which is typically outfitted with a reel and fish line which is attached to the arrow. A type of bowhunting.
bowhand / The hand which holds the bow. See bowarm.
bowhunter / 1) One who hunts with the bow and arrow. This name was believed to have been coined by Roy Case about 1950. A bowhunter is also an archer, but many archers are not bowhunters, many hunters are not bowhunters, and many bowhunters are not traditional bowhunters. A traditional bowhunter is someone who wants to get to know and get close to their game. 2) A collector a rare bows :)
bowhunting / A type of archery where the bow is used to harvest legal game according to the rules of fair chase. "Target archery is seeing how far away you can get and still hit the bull's eye. Bowhunting is seeing how close you can get and never miss you mark!" Arrows are equipped with broadheads, for large game; blunts, judo (or bird) points for small game; and fish points for aquatic game. Most states regulate the minimum draw weight of the bow (e.g., Maryland, not less than 30 pound), and the size or type of broadheads (e.g., Maryland, minimum width of 7/8 inch). Many states provide a separate hunting season for bowhunters. Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: clout shooting, roving, field archery, target archery, and trick shooting. Also see the three most common forms of bowhunting large game: still hunting, stump-sitting, and tree stand hunting.
bowman / An archer. See also bowyer.
bowshot / The distance (longer than a stones throw) traveled by an arrow shot from a bow; typically about 250 yards.
bowsight / 1) A sighting device attached to the bow. Not to be confused with sight window. 2) An aiming style or technique using a sighting device, see freestyle. Archers using this type of aiming are sometimes called pin shooters. Compare with barebow shooting and instinctive aiming.
bowstring / The string or cord that bends the bow.
bowstring loop / The part of the bowstring that goes around the bowtips and into the bow nocks. May be on one or both ends of the string. A single loop necessitates the use of a timberhitch on the opposite end of the string, usually the lower end.
bowstringer / A device to assist in bracing the bow (prevents the twisting of laminated bow limbs).
bowtip / The very ends of the bow. See also bow nock.
bowyer / One who makes or trades bows. See artiller.
brace / (verb) To bend the bow and attach the bowstring to the notches (bow nocks) in both ends. Compare with draw.
brace_height / The distance between the belly side of the grip (on the bow's handle) and the bowstring when the bow is braced. [Some references say from the back of the bow handle or pivot point.] Adjusted when tuning the bow. See fistmele. Sometimes called string height.
bracer / An armguard.
breast / The area of the shaft forward of the fletching and about six to nine inches from the nock. Compare with foot, shaftment (2), and heel.
breasted arrow / An arrow where the last 7-10 inches of the nocked end (the breast) is tapered (e.g., from 23/64 to 5/16) to improve flight characteristics and feather wear. Especially helpful for longbows (which are not center shot). Compare with barrel tapered and bobtail.
broadhead / 1) Originally a flat, pointed arrowhead having sharp edges and two divergent barbs. 2) Today, any head used for hunting big game (bowhunting).
broadhead round / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
bull's eye / The center of the mark.
burgher / An inhabitant of a borough or a town. Compare with franklin, knave, knight and yeoman.
burn / A feather shape created by burning the shape with a hot wire or feather burner. Compare with cut or die-cut.
butt / Any material backing, bales, or dirt designed to stop and hold arrows. A paper target (target face) or mark can be pinned on the butt. Historically, mounds of turfed earth six feet high and ten feet wide, on which a white marker or garland was fastened to the center for archers to aim. Two butts were usually set 50-140 yards apart and shot both ways. In the 14th Century England, "shooting at the butts" was compulsory every Sunday for all able-bodied men between the ages of 14 and 65.

C-bow / A longbow, frequently a selfbow, similar to a D-bow but the limbs are more round. Compare with flatbow.
calculated draw weight / An alternate method used to determine your draw weight, if a scale is not available. This is done by adding or subtracting 3 pounds to the standard draw weight for each inch that your draw length is over or under the 28 inch standard. Compare with actual draw weight.
cant / To set at an angle. The angle, from vertical, that the bow is held when shooting. Instinctive archers usually cant the bow to increase visibility. Point-of-aim and pin shooters, typically do not cant the bow because distance calibrations and their sights are distorted by canting.
cap / See crown dip.
capping / See crown dip.
carriage bow / Originally a bow that could be taken apart so it was shorter and easier to transport in a carriage. An older name for the takedown bow.
cast / 1) The furthest distance a given bow will shoot an arrow. See bowshot. See also clout shooting. 2) The velocity which a bow can impart to an arrow. It can be measured in how far it will shoot that arrow, or what the fps (feet per second) reading of that same arrow is when shot through a chronograph. See bow performance.
check / A longitudinal crack in wood or a bow limb. Compare with fret.
chrysal / The more formal (or historical) name for fret.
clothyard shaft / An arrow the length of a clothyard, a unit of 37 inches equal to the Scotch ell (unit of measure) [other references quote smaller lengths].
clout / A white object, such as a cloth, that is placed on a stake as a mark for long-distance shooting (160-240 yards). Other targets that may mark the center of a target area include: a circular paste board 6-12 inches in diameter or a small circular straw target, with a white face, about 18 inches in diameter.
clout shooting / A form of distance shooting. Arrows have to be shot with a high trajectory to fall into a target area, marked by rings on the ground. Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: bowhunting, field archery, roving, target archery, trick shooting and flight shooting. See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets [clout].
cock feather / The feather at a right angle to the arrownock or bowstring (with three-feather fletching). Usually colored or patterned differently. Sometimes called guide feather or index feather. Compare with hen feather. Note: Not necessarily from the male bird, but is so named as it is the feather that is "cocked upward" when the arrow is properly fitted to the string with the bow held horizontally.
composite bow / A bow built or covered in thin layers of strips of wood or other material which are glued together (typically 3 or more dissimilar materials). See laminated bow.
compound bow / 1) Historically, a bow of complex construction, made of two or more pieces of wood, bone, antler, horn, or a whale bone lashed or riveted or spliced together. 2) A bow developed in recent years that uses a system of cams, pulleys, and cables to change the weight build-up as the bowstring is drawn. Peak draw weight occurs during the first few inches of draw, with a reduction at full draw (e.g., 50 percent). Originally patented by Wylber Allan in America in 1969.
compressed shaft / An arrow made from dowels of (usually cedar) wood that has been compressed under pressure, creating a heavier wood with a smaller diameter.
core / The material in the center of a laminated bow. See core wrap, back, and belly.
core wrap / Term (I made up) to describe bows with a wood core and wrapped in fiberglass (e.g., my bow which has a wood core). Compare with laminated bow.
creep / To let the arrow move forward after reaching full draw, but before release. Creep is caused by a loss of back tension from holding on the draw. Also called "let down."
crest / (noun) The decoration of an arrow, typically consisting of several painted bands of color. It is used for identification. Usually placed on the breast of the arrow at the end of the crown dip (if present), but may also be placed midfeather, or on the heel of the arrow.
crest / (verb) To paint a crest on the arrow.
crester / A device that turns the arrow so you can easily paint bands on the shaft.
cresting / See crest.
crossbow / A bow designed to be shot similarly to a gun, with a groove or barrel that directs the arrow and a trigger that releases the string.
crown / See crown dip.
crown dip / Usually a colored dip put on the last 10 inches or so on the nock end of an arrow. Helps increase visibility during arrow flight in wooded areas, aids in arrow retrieval, and improves the appearance of the arrow. Also called cap, capping, crown, dip, or dip crest.
cut / A feather shape created by cutting with a knife or scissors, or using a feather chopper. Compare with burn or die-cut.

D-bow / A longbow, frequently a selfbow, where the limbs are D-shaped (the back is flat, but the belly is round). Compare with flatbow and C-bow.
die-cut / A feather that is pre-cut before purchase. See feather shape. Compare with burn or cut.
dip / 1) An abrupt, but curved lowering of the belly of a bow at each end of the handle. 2) See crown dip.
dip crest / See crown dip.
distance shooting / See flight shooting.
DLPP / Draw Length to Pivot Point.
draw / To pull the bowstring back. One of the five partitions. "Drawing well is the best part of shooting. Men in old time used... to draw low at the breast, to the right pap... nowadays we draw to the right ear... draw easily and uniformly... until you come to the rig, or shouldering of the head, is best both for profit and seemliness" [quoted from Toxophilus, in Hardy, p.138]. See draw technique.
draw check / A device to let the archer know when he is at full draw. Contrast with anchor point.
draw length / The length, for a given archer, from the back of the bow to the bowstring in his fingers at full draw. Compare with hunting arrow length.
draw length to pivot point (DLPP) / The distance from the belly (or face) of the handle to the bowstring when drawn. See standard draw weight. Compare with draw length.
draw technique / The manner in which the bow is drawn, classified based on the movement and positioning of the arms during the swing. Several common techniques include: push-pull, set-arm, and locked-arm-swing. "Nip the goose feather betwixt thy fingers and through out thy bowarm steadily" from Howard Pyle's The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.
draw weight / The amount of pull, measured in pounds, needed to draw an arrow back its full length. Also known as bow weight. See actual draw weight and calculated draw weight. For easy comparison of bows, the AMO developed a standard draw weight.
drawing arm / The arm that draws the bowstring. Compare with bowarm.
dutch / A small cylindrical piece of wood tightly mounted into a knot hole in a bow.

Earl Marshal / A medieval officer of state, usually commanding the armed forces, who is able to grant a Coat of Arms. See king of arms and armiger. See also History of Heraldry.
end / The number of arrows shot before the score is taken or a portion of any specific round. In target archery, the number is usually six, sometimes three. In field archery, it is usually four, sometimes three. In 3D shooting, it is usually one. See perfect end. Also see Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
endless string / A bowstring made from a continuous thread forming loops a both ends.
English longbow / British Long Bow Society, 1975, defines the longbow "as the traditional type with stacked belly, horn nocks, and limbs made of wood only. All surfaces shall be convex ... The length between the nocks, measured along the back of the bow, shall not be less than 5 ft for arrows up to 26 inches long, and not less than 5 ft 6 inches for arrows over 26 inches long. ...The thickness [depth] of the limbs, measured from the belly to back shall at no point be less than three quarters the overall width of the limb at the same point.... At the arrow plate the bow shall not be narrower than at any other place on the top limb. ...There shall be no arrow rest built into or attached to the bow. The stele [shaft] of the arrow shall be of wood, the fletchings of feathers" [from Hardy, 1992, pp. 9, 10]. Older English longbows, like the Mary Rose bows bend in a complete arc, not flattening at the handle. Compare with American longbow.

face / (noun) 1) The scoring surface on a target. It is usually made of paper, canvas, oil cloth, or other material and mounted on the butt. 2) See belly of the bow.
face walking / An aiming style or technique, which involves raising or lowering the anchor point to adjust for shot distance. Compare with instinctive shooting. See barebow.
facing / The material used on the belly side, or face, of a composite bow.
fair chase / Short for rules of fair chase.
fancy-backed bow / A term used by [M. Thompson, 1878] to mean the same as a backed bow. Compare with composite bow and laminated bow.
fast or faste / The archer's traditional cry to hold fast or stop shooting should any person or animal stray in front of the shooting line. The expression, "to play fast and loose," is derived from the dangerous or risky behavior of an archer loosing and arrow after the cry of "fast."
fast flight / A special type of bowstring typically yielding a faster velocity arrow (see cast). This type of string is not recommended for many traditional bows (check with your bowyer).
faux barred / "Fake" or simulated barred feathers or fletching.
feather / 1) A whole feather, or one of its sections on an arrow. Compare with fletching. 2) The end of an exposed surface of a flat grain on the belly of a selfbow.
feather burner / A length of wire, bent to the desired shape of feather fletching, which is connected to a transformer (e.g., 6.5 volts, 5 amps) which heats the wire red hot. The arrow is fitted in a holder and the feathers are rotated against the wire, after it is placed on the arrow, to create the desired burn of the fletching. Compare with feather chopper.
feather chopper / A blade in the desired feather shape of the fletching, which is used to chop or cut a feather before it is placed on the arrow. Compare with feather burner.
feather shape / The cut or burn of feathers or fletching. See Indian, parabolic, Pope & Young, shield, straight, or flu-flu fletch. [See diagram].
feet per second (fps) / One measurement used to determine cast. The measurement of the velocity of an arrow lets us know how many feet an arrow will traverse within one second of time.
field archery / Shooting at targets that vary in size and range from a succession of different posts or shooting positions. Targets are frequently paper cut-outs of animals. Originated in the US in the early 1900s. There are two classes of FITA field archery, instinctive (or barebow) and freestyle class. Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: 3D shooting, bowhunting, clout shooting, roving, target archery, and trick shooting.
field point / A type of arrowhead, which is used for field archery, with a convex sloped point designed for easy removal from various objects.
field round / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
finger sling / A strap attached to the thumb and index finger of the bowhand which can be used for recurves or compounds to keep the bow from falling after an arrow's release. Compare with wrist sling. Should not be confused with the fingertab or glove (which protects the string fingers), or the armguard (which protect the bowarm).
fingertab / A flat leather piece worn to protect the three string fingers from the bowstring. Some styles include a spacer that reduces pinching of the arrow (with a Mediterranean release). Frequently shortened to tab. Compare with glove.
fish point / A type of arrowhead designed for bowfishing; usually equipped with two moveable barbs and fastened to a fishing line.
fish-tail joint / A "V" shaped joint the length of the bow hand, to attach two billets together for the building of a longbow.
fishpoint / A point used for bowfishing, typically with a set of movable barbs to prevent the point from pulling out of the fish.
fishtail / Said of an arrow when it wobbles left and right during its flight. Adjusted when tuning the bow. Compare with porpoise.
fistmele / The breadth of a fist with the thumb stuck out. It is a simple and ancient measurement for an archer to determine the brace height of a bow by placing the fist on the bow handle and raising the thumb toward the string.
FITA / (1) Fe'de'ration Internationale de Tir 'A L'Arc (International Archery Federation), archery's international governing body. See archery association. (2) A type of round, see Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
five partitions / Described by Roger Ascham, in Toxophilus, as the steps in shooting a bow, "standynge, nockyng, drawyng, holdyng, lowsyng, whereby cometh a fayre shotynge." Otherwise: 1-stance, 2-nocking, 3-drawing, 4-holding, and 5-loose. See taxonomy. See also Bowen's Five Partitions to beginning archery.
flaker / 1) See arrow flaker. 2) See flintknapper. Also see arrowsmith.
flatbow / A bow where the limbs flatten out from the riser with a cross-section noticeably wider than they are deep/thick. Possibly a selfbow, and if long enough a longbow (see American longbow). Compare with D-bow.
Flemish bowstring / A popular style of bowstring that is easily handmade, attributed to the people of the medieval region of Flanders, today called Belgium. Allows for the adjustment of brace height by twisting the string.
fletch / To attach feathers to an arrow shaft. Also may refer to the shape of the feathers in the fletching.
fletcher / 1) One who puts feathers or vanes on an arrow (an arrow maker). 2) Also used to designate the jig used in placing feathers on the arrow for cementing, a fletching jig.
fletching / The already applied feathers of an arrow. Typically designated by their length, the feather shape, and the number of feathers. Three-feather fletching is usually set at 120 degree angles (with the cock feather set 90 degrees from the arrownock). Four-feather fletching is usually set at 75 degrees and 105 degrees to allow for bow clearance. See also flu-flu, feather chopper, and feather burner.
flight arrow / A small diameter arrow, sometimes barrel tapered and/or fluted, with small fletching designed to fly as far as possible.
flight bow / A bow designed to shoot an arrow as far as possible (maximum cast), typically with little consideration for accuracy. Sometimes a foot bow is used.
flight shooting / 1) Shooting an arrow to see how far it will go (see flight arrow and flight bow). The bow is generally elevated to about a 45' angle. 2) Shooting the bow for accuracy at a great distance (see clout shooting). [See TB Magazine, Oct/Nov 1994, "The Tradition of Flight".]
flintknapper / A person who has developed the skill of seeing how flint will flake to shape an arrowhead as desired, using an arrow flaker and other tools (sometimes called a "knapper"). See flintknapping. Compare with arrowsmith.
flintknapping / The process of making an arrowhead out of flint. See also arrow flaker and pressure flaking.
flu-flu / 1) A broad, high feather shape designed to slow an arrow rapidly after the first 30 yards, or so, and cause it to drop quickly. Drag is increased by using full-feathers, mounting in a spiral, using a 4-feather mount, splitting the vanes, or other techniques. [See fletching diagram]. The original name was "FLOO-HOO," named by Tommy the Seminole Indian in Maurice Thompson's book The Witchery of Archery [1878]. 2) An arrow used for small game and aerial shooting that is fletched with a flu-flu feather shape.
fluted arrow / The scoring (creating groves) in a flight arrow to make it lighter.
follow the string / Of a selfbow, to become curved toward the bowstring; to take a degree of permanent bend.
foot / The fore end (or "business end") of an arrow shaft. Typically includes a tennon or taper to accept an arrowhead. Compare with breast, shaftment (2), and heel.
foot bow / A bow, designed for flight shooting, that is shot by placing each foot on either side of the arrow rest and drawing the bow with the hands.
footed / An arrow with a hardwood piece joined to the point end, or foot, of the arrow shaft, by means of inlay work, to give the arrow greater durability and better balance.
franklin / A landowner, a prosperous farmer. Compare with burgher, knave, knight and yeoman.
freestyle / In target archery, shooting that allows the use of release aids, bowsights, stabilizers, and other mechanical devices. In field archery, shooting with any approved shooting aid. One who shoots in this manner may be called a sight shooter or a pin shooter. Compare with barebow.
fret / A transverse fault found in the belly of a bow caused by compression. This word seems appropriate because of its other English definitions: a) "wear, corrode" [which is the typical cause of a bow fret], b) "the ridge on a finger board of a stringed instrument "[because of its appearance], and c) "emotional strain" (which it will cause in the owner of the bow and possibly the bowyer). It is also called a chrysal or pinch. Compare with check.

gap shooting / An aiming style or technique, described by Bryon Ferguson [1994, p.14] as an adaptation of the split-vision technique, but for modern bows which are center-shot. It involves focusing on the "gap" between the arrow point and the target, then raising and lowering the bow arm to adjust for shot distance. However, Ferguson says "don't become too dependent on gap shooting. Once you have become proficient, immediately begin concentrating more on the mark and less on the gap" [p.33]; what he calls "becoming the arrow" (what Fred Asbell and others call instinctive shooting).
garland / A wreath of brushwood placed on the butt for target practice.
glove / Three leather fingers held on the first three fingers of the release hand with a wrist strap. It protects the archer's string fingers. Compare with fingertab.
GNAS / Grand National Archery Society.
golf / A type of competition where arrows and bows are used similar to balls and clubs (in golf). See TB Magazine, Feb/Mar 1996, Shot From The Past, "Archery Golf: History and Revival".
Grand National Archery Society (GNAS) / an archery association.
grey goose shaft / An arrow fletched with the wing pinions of the greylag goose (these were the most widely used feathers of English yeoman, a typical arrow of Robin Hood).
grip / 1) The handle of the bow. See also riser. 2) The method of holding the bow for which there are variations.
group / Three or more arrows close together on a mark.
guide feather / See cock feather.

handle / 1) The center portion of the bow where you hold the bow in your hand while shooting, the grip. 2) The non-bending center of the bow. See also riser.
handshock / A jar in the handle at the moment of release. Also called kick.
head / 1) Short for arrowhead. 2) See foot of the arrow.
heartwood / The core wood of a tree which resists compression. Typically used for the belly of a selfbow. Compare with sapwood.
heel / The portion of an arrow shaft between the rear end of the fletching and the arrownock. Compare with foot, breast, and shaftment (2).
hen feathers / The two feathers closest to the bow when nocked (with a three-feathered fletch). May also be called shaft feathers. Compare with cock feather.
herald / 1) A state officer who superintends state ceremonies. He also grants, blazons and records genealogies for an armiger. An officer of arms who works for the King of Arms. See also History of Heraldry (Office of Arms and Record Keeping). 2) Historically, the official messenger of a royal person, or his representative, declaring the beginning or end of war, challenging to combat, and otherwise announcing the will of a king or prince.
hinged bow / A takedown bow which has a hinge attached to the back of the handle so it can be folded in half for easier transport. Compare with carriage bow.
historical bows / Archeological finds which help us to better understand ancient archery. Examples include the Meare Heath Bow, the Ashcott Heath Bow, the Mary Rose Bows, and the Iceman Bow.
hit / To strike the target for a score.
holding / Keeping an arrow at full draw while aiming. One of the five partitions. For archers, using traditional bows, the release is usually instantaneous with reaching the anchor point. Delaying (actually holding at the anchor point) usually causes the archer to let down and the arrow to creep, especially with heavier draw weight bows. "Holding must not be long, for it both putteth a bow in jeopardy, and marreth a man's shoot; it must be so little, that it may be perceived better in a man's mind, when it is done, than seen in a man's eyes when it is in doing" [quoted from Toxophilus, in Hardy, p.138].
horsebow / See shortbow.
hunters round / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
hunting arrow / A arrow used for bowhunting. The length is typically the draw length plus one or more inches to prevent sharp broadheads from contacting the back of the bowhand.

IBO / International Bowhunters' Organization, an archery association.
Iceman Bow / A bow discovered, along with the remains of its owner on September 19, 1991 in the Italian Otztal Alps on a 10,500 foot high ridge (between Italy and Austria). It is estimated that he was caught in a storm and buried by the snow about 3300 BC. He was about 35 years old and only 5 foot, 4 inches high, but carried a 70 inch bow and 30 inch shafts. Out of the 14 dogwood shafts in his one-piece deerskin quiver, only two arrows were completed -- both with flint arrowheads and 3-feather fletching (glued and whipped). [Washington Post, October 15, 1992, pp. A-1,22,23; TB Magazine Jun/Jul 1993, pp. 57-58.] See other historical bows.
index feather / See cock feather.
Indian fletch / A feather shape common to many American Indian tribes. Similar to the straight cut, in that the rear edge follows the natural shape of barbs. However, the leading edge is formed by a straight cut/burn from the widest part to the shaft to a point -- forming a triangle. [See diagram].
inner side / See belly.
instinctive shooting / The aiming style or technique, named by Howard Hill, which involves shooting without the aid of a sighting device (bowsight) or point-of-aim, but relying on hand to eye coordination by concentrating on the target, not the arrowhead. Usually instinctive shooters shoot off-the-shelf. Fred Asbell [1988, p.33] described it as "shooting a bow using only the abilities of eye, body coordination and instinctive memory." Roger Ascham wrote in Toxophilus, "The cheife cause why men can not shoote streight is bicause they loke at theyr shaft... for hauying [having] a mans eye alwaye on his marke is the only waye to shoote straight." See barebow, gap shooting, and split-vision.
Ishi release / See Yahi release.

Judo point / A spring-loaded arrowhead designed for roving (or stump shooting) which reduces penetration and catches in the grass (to reduce the chance of loosing arrows) developed by Zwickey Archery Inc. The name Judo (R) comes from "its bounding agility and knockout wallop to small game."
Junior American round / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.

kick / See handshock.
king of arms / An officer of arms of the highest rank. See also Earl Marshal, History of Heraldry and Office of Arms.
kisser button (kisser) / A marker placed on the bowstring so that it touches the archer's lips when he is at full draw.
knapper / Short for flintknapper.
knapping / Short for flintknapping.
knave / 1) A boy servant, 2) a man of humble birth or position, 3) a tricky or deceitful fellow. Compare with varlet.
knight / A mounted soldier who could fight with sword and lance. Master of an estate and a member of Norman nobility. Typically, a rightful bearer of a Coat of Arms (armiger)[The mascot of Parkville Senior High School.] Compare with burgher, franklin, knave, varlet, and yeoman.

laminated bow / Same as composite bow except this term is most often used when describing a bow composed of basically similar materials (e.g., fiberglass and wood).
let down / To slowly release tension from full draw without losing the arrow. Usually causes the arrow to creep.
limb / The upper or lower portion of the bow, from the handle to the bowtip, that bend when the bowstring is drawn.
limb cross-section / The shape of the cross section of a bow limb. See flatbow, D-bow, and C-bow.
limb curvature / The bend in the bow limbs: straight, reflex, recurve, static recurve.
limb shape / See limb cross-section.
Lincoln green / A bright green cloth, made in the town of Lincoln England, that would blend in with the forest. Worn by the King's foresters and also Robin Hood's band of men.
locked-arm-swing / A technique of drawing the bow which was used by Howard Hill and is taught by Fred Asbell. The bowarm is fully extended (similar to the set-arm draw), but the bow is by the archer's side (similar to the push-pull method). The draw is begun after "picking a hair" on the target. The bowarm is swung straight up into position as the string is drawn to anchor (and typically as knees are bent slightly). Frequently combined with instinctive shooting and the bow is often canted. Also called swing and draw style.
longbow / 1) Generally any straight or nearly straight bow of five feet or longer (where the string does not lay on the belly of the limbs). 2) Specifically, an English longbow or an American longbow. See traditional bow. [See TB Magazine, Apr/May 1995, "The Huntsman, the Outlaw, and the Warrior: The History of the Medieval Longbow".]
loop / See bowstring loop.
loose / To let a fully drawn bowstring escape from the finger tips, thus sending the arrow on its way. One of the five partitions. "For clean loosing you must take heed of hitting anything about you. Leo the Emperor would have all archers in war to have their heads polled, and their beards shaven, lest the hair of their heads should stop the sight of the eye, the hair of their beards hinder the course of the string" [quoted from Toxophilus, in Hardy, p.138]. See also release. Compare with fast.

mark / The target, spot, or point you are attempting to skewer your arrow with. Robin Hood shot at a white mark on a butt, of "four fingers' breath at four score yards" (240 feet). Also see standard ringed targets (in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets).
Mary Rose Bows / A number of bows recovered from King Henry the Eighth's ship the Mary Rose which sunk in 1545. The first bows were recovered in 1841 and more in the 1970s. They are longbows, most of single staves, D in cross-section, bend through the handle, made of yew, have no binding at the grip, and have horned nocks. See other historical bows.
Mediterranean release / A release technique known to the ancients and used in English archery and by the Eskimo. The first three fingers, assisted by the thumb, draw the string, while the engaged arrow rests between the first and second fingers. [Pope, 1918, p.121].
men-at-arms / Ordinary soldiers (yeoman, not knights).
Meare Heath Bow / The oldest bow found in Britain (Somerset). It is a yew, flatbow with a slightly convex back, bound on the limbs with leather thongs in a criss-cross pattern. It has been dated to about 2690 BC. Only one limb was found, but is estimated to have been over 6 foot long. See other historical bows.
mid-feather crest / A crest, put on an arrow shaft, so that it will be at the center of the fletching when the feathers are applied.
Mongolian release / A release technique chiefly used with an Asian composite bow, and consists of pulling the string with the flexed thumb, more or less supported by the other fingers, while the arrow is merely steadied in position by contact with the forefinger. This method reaches full effectiveness when a sharp-edged thumb ring is worn to engage the string. Also called Asiatic. [Pope, 1918, p.121].
mount / How an arrowhead is fastened to the shaft. See tennon, taper, and screw mount.

NAA / National Archery Association of the United States, an archery association.
natural point-of-aim / A point-of-aim technique using natural objects. Compare with artificial point-of-aim.
NFAA / National Field Archery Association, an archery association.
nip the goose feather / To nock a arrow fletched with goose feathers (i.e., a grey goose shaft).
nock / (noun) See bow nock or arrownock.
nock / (verb) To place the arrow on the bowstring. One of the five partitions.
nock locator / An attachment to the center serving of a bowstring used to help mark and maintain a consistent nocking point. The reference may be a small bead of material, a metal crimp-on, a piece of plastic that shrinks to fit, or additional serving.
nock piece / A wedge or small thickness of horn or other material inserted in the nock end of an arrow for reinforcement. See arrownock.
nocking point / 1) The place on the bowstring where you nock your arrows. Adjusted when tuning the bow, using a bow square. 2) A nock locator.
Norman / Frenchman from Normandy who conquered England in 1066. See knight. Compare with Saxon.

oblique stance / See open stance.
Occam's razor / A decision principle described by William of Ockham (1300?-49?) as "Given two competing choices, pick the simplest." Otherwise known as the KISS principle (Keep It Simple Stupid). Can be applied to archery, especially bowhunting, since simplicity reduces the number of possible failures [e.g., "stick bows" versus "pulleys and wheels" (compounds)].
officer of arms / An officer with the duties of a herald or supervising heralds. See king of arms, herald, and pursuivant. See also History of Heraldry and Office of Arms.
off-the-shelf / Refers to shooting off the arrow shelf. When the arrow shelf, just above the bow grip , is used as the arrow rest. In instinctive shooting, it is important to shoot with the arrow as close to the hand as possible, since it relies on hand to eye coordination.
open stance / The archery stance, similar to the standard stance, except the right foot is placed more forward and the left foot is pivoted slightly toward the target (the body is approximately 60, rather than 90, from the target). This stance opens the form somewhat, giving more body clearance (which is important for bowhunters in winter). This stance is usually preferred for archers who cant their bow and/or use a locked-arm-swing draw; both common with an instinctive aiming technique.
overbowed / Using a bow that is too strong which can result in poor shooting habits, inaccuracy and physical damage.
overdraw / (noun) A device that extends the arrow rest or shelf from the handle toward the archer, thus allowing the use of a shorter arrow. Has been used on traditional bows for flight shooting.
overdraw / (verb) To draw an arrow so far that the point passes the belly of the bow.

parabolic fletch / A feather shape where there is a smooth, bowl-shaped, (parabolic) curve from front to back. [See diagram].
PBS / Professional Bowhunters Society, an archery association.
perfect end / In target archery, six arrows (an end) shot consecutively into the gold zone.
performance / See bow performance.
pile / The medieval name for a target arrowhead. The ferrule like end of an arrow that attaches to the tip, to protect and balance the striking end of the arrow. Also called point.
pin shooter / An archer who uses a bowsight to aim (named for sighting pin). See also freestyle.
pinch / See fret.
pivot point / The place on the belly (or face) of the handle, where the bow is balanced so that it does not torque when the hand is tightened. The pivot point rests in the notch of the hand between the thumb and index finger. See Draw Length to Pivot Point.
point / A type of arrowhead, same as pile. See field point and target point.
point-blank / The distance at which the point-of-aim and the center of the target are the same. From the French point á blanc, the range at which the point of the arrow was aimed directly at a piece of white (blanc) cloth, placed against the earth butt, as a mark at which to shoot. Also called point-on.
point-of-aim / 1) An aiming style or technique in which the archer sights down his arrow shaft at a marker, usually an object on the ground, to try to hit the target. 2) The object at which the archer sights the tip of his arrow upon to achieve the right elevation to hit a mark, but not necessarily that object. See artificial point-of-aim and natural point-of-aim. Compare instinctive. See also point-blank, barebow.
point-on / See point-blank.
Pope & Young fletch / A feather shape used by Saxton Pope and Art Young. The rear edge follows the barbs of the vanes of the feather. The leading edge is cut or burnt somewhat rounded, sloping smoothly to the leading edge (rather than a straight, triangular, cut as in the Indian fletch). [See diagram].
porpoise / Said of an arrow when it wobbles up and down during its flight. Adjusted when tuning the bow. Compare with fishtail.
pressure flaking / The process of pressing on flint using an arrow flaker to break away the edge of the flint to gradually shape and create the edge of an arrow point or other tool. Also see flintknapping.
pricking / A term used by [M. Thompson, 1878] to refer to target archery.
primary release / A release technique where the arrow is drawn by pinching it between the thumb and flexed forefinger. [Pope, 1918, p.121].
primitive archery / A subset of traditional archery, specializing in the use, creation, or study of primitive bows and primitive arrows.
primitive arrow / Typically refers to a wood self arrow with the feathers mounted in a primitive fashion (e.g., with sinew) and the arrowhead is usually either flint, obsidian, or other natural material.
primitive bow / Typically refers to a bow which is constructed as a selfbow. Can be a recurve, but usually a longbow, flatbow, or shortbow (horsebow).
pursuivant (from following) / An officer of arms of lower rank than a herald. See also History of Heraldry and Office of Arms.
push-pull draw / A technique of drawing the bow; one of the first taught. The bow is held with a bent (bowarm) elbow, fairly close to the body. The draw is begun by pushing forward, away from the body, with the bow are, while drawing the string back to the anchor point. The method used by Fred Bear. Compare with set-arm and locked-arm-swing.

quiver / A container to hold arrows conveniently while hunting and shooting. The many types of quivers are referred to by where they are attached; bow quiver, back quiver, side quiver, shoulder quiver and ground quiver.

range / 1) Distance to be shot; 2) A shooting ground, indoors or out.
recurve / The name for a bow with limbs that curve smoothly forward (in reverse to its body) to a noticeable degree, from the center to the tip of each limb, where the bowstring rests on the belly of the limbs when braced. Recurve composite bows were became popular in America in the 1950's. [See TB Magazine, Dec/Jan 1996, "Vintage Recurves" and Jun/Jul 1996 "Asiatic Recurve Models".]
reflex / A longbow with a very slight curve away from the archer when unstrung.
release / 1) To loose an arrow. 2) See release technique.
release technique / A method or style used to hold an arrow on the string while the bow is drawn (and then loose or release the arrow). Categorized by E.S.Morse in 1885, as: primary, secondary, tertiary, Mongolian (or Asiatic), and Mediterranean, adapted by S.T.Pope, in 1918 added Yahi (or Ishi). The Apache (or 3-under) release has also been identified.
ringed target / See standard ringed targets (in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets).
riser / The thick, non-bending center section of the bow that "rises" between the limbs; the bow's limbs increase in depth to make the handle and stiffen the bow at the center section. With composite bows it may be more elaborate and offers as rigid center section up to about 20 inches in length.
Robin Hood / (verb) An accomplishment named after the legendary character and the feat he performed in the famous archery contest (i.e., "to Robin Hood an arrow"). It occurs when an archer drives the tip of the shaft of one arrow deep into the end of another arrow already in the target. The arrows stuck end-to-end can be found hung with pride above mantles, next to hunting trophies or in offices alongside letters and diplomas. See Archery Heroes.
round / A series of arrows shot at specified target faces at set distances. See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
rovers / A term used by [M. Thompson, 1878] to mean the same as roving.
roving / A form of competition or practice in which the archer progresses from mark to mark, at uncertain distances. Although it is the origin of the more formal field and hunters rounds in current field archery competition, "stump shooting" (as most archers call it) was originally done literally by "roving" around and selecting tree stumps, clumps of grass, or other random natural objects as targets. This technique was used as training for war (in medieval times) and today it is used as practice for instinctive shooting (or as a fun way to spend time with fellow archers). Arrows are often tipped with judo points or blunts to reduce the chance of arrows becoming lost in the grass or being permanently lodged in trees. It is from "stump shooting" that the National Field Archery Association (NFAA) derived its logo (a stump lodged with an arrow). Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: bowhunting, clout shooting, field archery, target archery, and trick shooting. [See TB Magazine, Aug/Sep 1995, "The Arrow in the Stump".]
rug rest / A shelf-type arrow rest which is a hair-type plate somewhat resembling a very short crew cut. It could be a piece of leather, or even a piece of felt or moleskin.
rules of fair chase / The rules of taking game as defined by the Pope & Young Club (rules of fair chase).

sapwood / The outer, lighter recent growth of a tree, just under the bark. Typically used for the back of a selfbow. Compare with heartwood.
Saxon / Germanic people that entered and conquered England with the Angles in the 600's. Compare with Norman.
screw mount / A mount type typically used for aluminum arrows.
secondary release / A release technique, similar to the primary, but where the arrow is drawn by pinching it between the thumb and the flexed first and second fingers. [Pope, 1918, p.121]. Found among the Chippewa (of Northern Wisconsin), the Ottawa, and the Zuni.
self arrow / An arrow consisting of one piece of wood (i.e., the arrownock is cut into the end of the shaft).
selfbow / A bow consisting essentially of one piece of wood (either a single piece or a spliced pair of billets). See stick bow.
selfwood bow / See selfbow.
serving / (noun) The protective wrapping of thread around the center of the bowstring where the arrow is nocked and at the ends of the string where the loops contact the bow's string grooves.
serving / (verb) To wrap or whip the bowstring with a line to protect it from wear.
set-arm draw / A technique of drawing the bow. The bow is held with the bowarm straight, pointing toward the target. The archer then draws the string straight back to the anchor point. Compare with push-pull and locked-arm-swing.
shaft / 1) Short for arrowshaft. 2) Shaftment or stele. 3) Sometimes used synonymous with arrow (e.g., grey goose shaft, footed shaft, clothyard shaft).
shaft feather / See hen feather.
shaftment / 1) A rod or material to be made into an arrow (see common shaftment types). Medieval term is stele. 2) The section of an arrow where the fletching is placed. Compare with foot, breast, and heel.
shape / See feather shape, limb cross-section, and limb curvature.
shield fletch / A feather shape where both the leading and trailing edges have a cut/burn. The leading edge is smoothly sloped (like the Pope & Young), but the trailing edge is sloped against the barbs of the vanes. This makes each feather is shaped like one-half of a police badge or knight's shield. [See diagram].
shooting line / A line (real or imaginary) from where an archer shoots. In field archery, the archer stands behind the line; in target archery, the archer straddles it. For safety reasons, no one is permitted forward of the shooting line when others are releasing arrows (see fast).
shortbow / A "longbow" with shorter limbs, therefore requiring a shorter draw length. Typical of bows that were used on horse back (horsebow) or other bows where the anchor point was to the chest.
sight pin / An indicator (on a bowsight) an archer may put on his bow to use as an aid in aiming. See freestyle and pin shooter.
sight window / A cut-away section of a bow (typically on a recurve) from the arrow shelf up to where the bow widens again at the base of the upper limb.
silencer / Strands of material attached to the string to stop it from vibrating, thus eliminating string noise. Usually placed about 12 inches from where the bowstring makes contact with the bow limb. May be woven through strands of bowstring or attached by an autombile wiring clip or other means.
sinew / The tendon of an animal traditionally used for bowstrings, for mounting feathers and mounting arrowheads to arrows. See primitive archery.
snap-shooting / Drawing and releasing quickly, sometimes not even coming to a full draw.
spine / (not spline) The stiffness, resiliency and elasticity of an arrow shaft in relation to its thickness, weight, and length. Today, the only way we gauge spine is by measuring its stiffness with a spine tester (see spine value), often reported in draw weight ranges (e.g., 60-65#). Adjusted when tuning the bow.
spine value / A static measure of stiffness and is defined by the deflection at the center of the shaft, measured in hundreds of an inch, when a weight of 1.5 pounds is hung at that point.
spin-forming / A process which twists the end of an aluminum shaft to create a taper for mounting arrow points. Considered to be an inferior technique to swagging. For arrows that have a pattern (like simulated grain), an indication of spin-forming is signs of twisting in the pattern on the taper. [TB Magazine, Jun/Jul, 1997, p.34.]
split finger release / See Mediterranean release.
split vision / Bryon Ferguson [1994] claims that Howard Hill was not an "instinctive" shooter, but used this aiming style or technique, which involves keeping the eyes focused on the spot to be hit, while at the same time being aware of where the arrow tip is positioned in relation to that spot. The term "split vision" is because Hill used a traditional longbow that was not center shot and had to account for archers paradox. Ferguson adapted this technique renames it gap shooting.
stabilizer / A weighted rod which can be screwed into the bow to help steady it and minimize undesirable twisting of the bow or bowstring.
stack / An undesirable quality when drawing a bow. When drawing the bow near the end of your draw, the weight feels to gain too quickly and abruptly, thus it is not smooth. See bow performance.
stacked belly / The deep belly found on a D-bow. Historical English longbows can be very 'high stacked' where the depth can be 4-7 times greater than the width, requiring extra length for safety [from Hardy, 1990, p.9].
stance / The position of the feet and body in relation to the target. One of the five partitions. See open stance and standard stance.
standard draw weight / The draw weight of a bow with the bowstring drawn at a distance of 28 inches measured from the far side of the handle (or 26 1/4 inches draw length to pivot point). Developed by the AMO for easy comparison of bows.
standard ringed target / See definitions in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets.
standard stance / The (target) archery stance where the left side is toward the target (for right-handers), feet parallel and spaced comfortably, head turned 90 degrees towards the target with the chin touching, or almost touching, the left shoulder. Compare with open stance.
static recurve / An older style recurve (1940-1955) with limbs that curve abruptly (about 45 degrees) near the tips of the limbs. In the US, the smoother recurves came around 1954. [Joe St. Charles is shown holding a 1953 Bear Grizzly static recurve in "Vintage Recurves" TB Magazine, Dec/Jan 1996, p. 54.]
stave / See billet.
stele / A medieval word for arrow shaft.
stick bow / A traditional bow or a longbow. May be used specifically to refer to a selfbow.
still hunting / A form of bowhunting, characterized by wise and careful coverage of a niche (habitat) walking quietly (not staying stationary as may be implied by the name). Compare with stump-sitting.
straight fletch / The simplest feather shape where both the leading and trailing edges follow the barbs of the vanes, and the edge of the feather is cut/burn parallel to shaft (forming a parallelogram). The feather shaft can simply be cut to length, leaving the natural width (left untrimmed). [See diagram].
string / See bowstring.
string fingers / The fingers used to draw the bowstring. In the Mediterranean release, this is the first three fingers assisted by the thumb.
string groove / A continuation of the bow nock along the belly side of a recurve bow.
string height / See brace height.
string keeper / A length of ribbon, leather thong or string which fastens the loop of the bowstring to the top bow nock or tip of the bow and holds the string taunt to the bow when it is unstrung (unbraced). Some Viking bows used a copper peg on the back of the upper limb, below the upper bow nock, which prevented the string from sliding when unstrung. Compare with bow ribbon.
string nock / See bow nock.
string walking / An aiming style or technique, which involves raising or lowering the nocking point to adjust for shot distance. Compare with instinctive shooting. See barebow.
strung bow / A bow that is ready for shooting; also called a braced bow.
stump shooting / See roving.
stump-sitting / A form of bowhunting, characterized by sitting and waiting usually in well traveled areas. Compare with still hunting.
swagging / A mechanical process that compresses the end of an aluminum shaft to a perfect five degree taper for ease of mounting arrow points. This can be verified in shafts with patterns since the pattern will remain parallel, rather than twisted, throughout the taper. Considered a preferred method of spin-forming or screw mounting for aluminum shafts. [TB Magazine, Jun/Jul, 1997, p.33.]
swing and draw style / See locked-arm-swing

tab / See fingertab.
tackle / Any or all of an archer's equipment.
takedown bow / The most common name for a bow that comes apart at the handle to make the bow shorter and easier to travel with. Can be a two or three piece bow. See carriage and hinged bows.
taper / A mount type. The shaft end which is cut to receive the point or plastic nock with tapered holes. Compare with tennon.
tapered / 1) Same as bobtail (or bob-tailed arrow). 2) Referring to any arrow with a taper: barrel tapered, breasted or bobtail. 3) Referring to the mount type, see taper.
target / 1) See also mark and bull's eye. 2) See standard ringed targets (in Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets).
target archery / Shooting at standard ringed targets (see Taxonomy of Rounds and Targets) typically a marked distances. Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: clout shooting, roving, field archery, and trick shooting. See also bowhunting.
target point / A type of arrowhead, with a short point, designed for use on straw targets.
tassel / A large piece of yarn worn at the archer's belt and used to wipe arrows clean.
TBM / Traditional Bowhunters of Maryland. See archery associations.
tennon / A mount type. A shoulder cut on the end of the arrow shaft to receive a parallel hole point or nock. The tennon reduces the size of the shaft end so that the point or nock is flush with the surface of the shaft. Compare with taper.
tertiary release / A release technique where the arrow is drawn by pinching it between the thumb and straightened forefinger. It may also place other fingers on the string to assist in the pull. [Pope, 1918, p.121].
three-fingers-under / See 3-under release.
thumb ring / A simple ring for the thumb that is used to draw and release the string.
tiller / (verb) To work the limbs of the bow, during construction, so that they bend properly in reference to each other. (noun) The bend of the limbs.
timberhitch / It is a knot which may be used to secure the bowstring in the lower nock of a traditional bow. When used on a bowstring, it provides an adjustable loop to quickly change the length of the bowstring. Also called a bow knot.
tip / See bowtip.
torque / An undesirable twisting of the bow or bowstring on release.
toxology / The study of archery, from the Greek toxon.
toxonana / The literature of the bow, also sometimes extended to old archery tackle.
toxophilite / 1) An archer. 2) A student and practitioner of archery. Literally "a lover of the bow."
toxophilus / The title of the first English book on archery by Roger Ascham (1565).
toxophily / The art of archery.
tradition / The handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another (frequently without written instruction).
traditional archery / 1) Simply "bows and arrows" (see tradition). 2) Usually refers to the use, creation, or study of simple traditional bows (and possibly traditional arrows). Often associated with instinctive shooting and bowhunting, and the wearing of traditional clothing . See also primitive archery. More importantly, traditional archery involves the passing down of archery skills, crafts, history, and values (traditions) to family and friends, and the use of archery as non-competitive recreation and fellowship.
traditional arrow / Typically refers to an arrow where the shaftment is wood and the fletching is made from feathers.
traditional bow / A bow which is either a longbow, shortbow, reflex, or recurve. Includes primitive bows. Crossbows are historically not included and were outlawed by many societies. See stick bow.
traditional clothing / The attire of traditional archers. Varieties include: American pioneer buckskins, native tribal dress, dress of English archers or Robin Hood (Lincoln green), or just shirts and jeans (dress common to Pope, Young, Bear, Hill, Thompson, or other American archery historic legends) (i.e., not necessarily camouflage).
trajectory / The path of the arrow in flight. Compare with point-blank.
tree stand / A platform or device, typically with a seat and safety harness, that is placed in a tree allowing an archer to shoot from an elevation (with the purpose of raising any movement and scent above their game and providing greater visibility to the hunter). Tree stands may be permanent (in some states) or temporary/portable.
tree stand hunting / A form of bowhunting using a tree stand. Considerations for placement is similar to stump-sitting (which is on the ground). Compare with still hunting.
trick shooting / Shooting at unusual marks and in unusual ways. May involve snap-shooting. Compare with other forms of contest in which archers may participate: bowhunting, clout shooting, field archery, roving, and target archery.
tune / Adjusting a bow to achieve better arrow flight (remove porpoising and fishtailing) by adjusting the nocking point, brace height, and arrow spine. For more information see Tuning Your Bow (in Tips).

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vane / 1) An arrow feather, originally. Today a "vane" most often refers to fletching made of plastic. Plastic vanes cannot be shot off-the-shelf. 2) The part of a feather on either side of the feather shaft.
varlet / 1) A knight's page; 2) A base unprincipled person; low, mean person; rogue, rascal, knave.

wand / A stick or slat stuck in the ground and used as a mark. For roving, it may be 2 inches wide and 6 inches long slat. Or, it may be a round shaft of wood, 1 inch in diameter and 5 feet long that is shot at from a long distance (e.g., 100 yards).
wind feather / A small lightweight feather attached to the bow or bowstring used to detect the direction of the wind. (Waxed dental floss works well to attach the feather.)
weight of bow / See draw weight.
weight of arrow / See arrow weight.
wrist sling / A strap attached to the bow and wrist of the bow hand which can be used for recurves or compounds to keep the bow from falling after an arrow's release. Compare with finger sling. Should not be confused with the fingertab or glove (which protects the string fingers), or the armguard (which protect the bowarm).

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Yahi / A division of the Yana (also called Mill Creek Indians). Ishi was the last known survivor of the Yahi division. His discovery, in 1911, sparked considerable interest in Yana culture, including archery tackle and skills. See a number of articles published by Dr. Saxton T. Pope.
Yahi release / The release technique used by Ishi, the Yahi American Indian. A modification of the Mongolian release where the thumb is flexed beneath the string. The middle finger is placed on the thumb nail to strengthen it. The index finger, completely flexed, rests on the arrow to keep it from slipping off the string. Note: This was the first description of this release and the first Mongolian-like release reported in America. [Pope, 1918, p.120,121].
Yana / {yah'-nah} The Yana was a Hokan-speaking native North American tribe. It consisted of four closely related divisions of occupying the northeastern foothills of the Sacramento Valley in California. Probably the best known division is the Yahi. First recorded contact with white settlers was in 1821. In the mid-1800s their population was an estimated 1,900. However, the Yana suffered near-annihilation during the 1860s at the hands of California miners, who massacred or drove away all but a handful of the Indians. In 1884 they numbered only 35. A few Yana still were known to survive in the 1980s.
yeoman / A small farmer who cultivates his own land; one belonging to a class of English freeholders below gentry (e.g., Robin Hood's gang); men-at-arms. Compare with burgher, knight and franklin.
yewbow / A bow made of wood from yew tree.
yew / A tree providing wood which Englishmen thought was the best wood for the longbow. It is hard and close-grained. Its orange-red or dark-amber heartwood resists compression and its pale, honey colored sapwood is perfect for resisting tension. Compare with bois d'arc (Osage orange).

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(top) 3 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

(c) Gregory M. Bowen

Feb	MAR	Apr
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2003	2004	2005

Bow'n Dictionary of Traditional Archery Terms

Bow'n Dictionary of
Traditional Archery Terms