arrow
a long slender pointed weapon, usually having feathers fastened at the end as a balance, that is shot from a bow
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Arrow
a projectile fired from a bow, crossbow, or blowgun. The most common arrows used with a bow consist of the tip (head), shaft, and fletching. Shafts are made from different varieties of straight-grained wood and from reeds. In the Stone Age (Mesolithic and Neolithic) and Bronze Age, arrowheads were
Figure 1. Arrowheads: (1) and (2) Neolithic stone arrowheads, (3) Scythian bronze arrowhead, (4) Sarmatian iron arrowhead, (5) Kirghiz iron arrowhead, (6) through (11) Russian iron arrowheads
made of hard stone—primarily flint—or, less often, of bone. Bronze arrowheads became widespread only in the early Iron Age; at the end of the first millennium B.C. they were supplanted by iron arrowheads. Arrowheads differed greatly in shape depending on when they were fashioned and on their purpose (see Figure 1).
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
What does it mean when you dream about an arrow?
Arrows have a rich and complex set of meanings. A person can be described as “straight as an arrow.” Cupid is known for using his bow and arrow to shoot love into a lover’s heart. Arrows can represent conflict, war, and aggression. More positively, they are used symbolically in business to point in the direction of company goals. An arrow also has masculine, phallic connotations, so that shooting someone with an arrow in a dream can have sexual overtones. Less obviously, arrows have been associated with inspiration, truth, sudden illumination, and poetry.
The Dream Encyclopedia, Second Edition © 2009 Visible Ink Press®. All rights reserved.
Arrow
[′ar·ō] McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Arrow
(dreams)The interpretation of this dream symbol may vary depending on whether the arrow was a tool or a weapon, or a signpointing direction. Dreaming about an actual arrow may have a range of meaning that includes swiftness, powerful and speedy intuition, mental alertness, precession, illuminating thoughts, and, last but not least, it could be a phallic symbol. To interpret the dream, consider its setting, context and emotional tone. Then, attempt to connect, and apply the suggested symbolism to your current situation or state of mind.
Bedside Dream Dictionary by Silvana Amar Copyright © 2007 by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.