Archery terms

Below is a list of Archery terms that will educate, fascinate and allow you to wow your friends with your newly gained knowledge of Archery terms and facts! You know they will thank you for it...perhaps.

Ever wanted to know what Want to know where the nock is? Discover where the name Fletcher came from? Are you an Ambi-Ocular archer? Do you want to know where the belly or the face of the bow is? Do you want to know what a Bowyer does? Why should you never dry-fire a bow? Should you be afraid of a Field Captain? Can you put your limbs on the riser the right way?  Have you ever had to Let Down a bow? Do you know where the nock point is?

Below is an A to Z of Archery terms.  Some will become familiar to you, and some you will never need or hear uttered by Leith Community Archers instructors or volunteers.  Archery is an ancient activity, and the origin of some surnames, words, and phrases we use today have originated from archery terms.

Fletcher was the name of the person who used to put flights on the arrows and Bowman was more simply an Archer.  Today Fletcher has become a common surname as has Bowman (Archer), similar to Smith (Blacksmith), Fisher (fisherman), and Cooper (barrel maker). For more information, you could visit the Wikipedia page on Archery.  There you will find lots of interesting facts about Archery.

Why not add another string to your bow, or add another arrow to the quiver and read on?

Archery terms

A B C D E F G H I K L M N P Q R S T V Y
There are currently 8 names in this directory beginning with the letter D.
Dacron
A type of material that is used to make bowstrings.
Director Of Shooting
The name given to the official in charge of the competition/tournament
Draw
The name given of actually pulling or drawing the bowstring back.
Draw Length
The distance in which you are able to fully draw the bowstring back
Draw Weight
Measured in pounds, this is the amount of force is being applied when the archer has the bowstring fully drawn. The higher the force, potentially the faster shot but this also means its much heavier.
Drawing Arm/Hand
The name given to the arm/hand used to draw the bowstring back.
Drift
The name given when an arrow is knocked from its original target from outside factors, these will often be caused by the wind.
Dry Firing
Shooting a bow whilst no arrow is nocked. This should NEVER be done, it can break the bow and also void any warranties.
Archery terms arrow with parts named
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