arow

Arow is an adverb meaning "in a row" — that is, arranged in a straight line or succession, one after another. Formed by prefixing the noun "row" with the old adverbial "a-" (as in "abed," "afloat," and "aloft"), it was once a natural way to describe soldiers standing in formation, trees planted along a road, or boats moored side by side. Today the word has fallen almost entirely out of everyday use and survives chiefly in poetry and older prose, where its compactness gives lines a tidy, formal rhythm. A modern writer who reaches for it should do so deliberately, since readers may find it quaint or mistake it for "arrow." For ordinary purposes, phrases such as "in a row" or "lined up" convey exactly the same idea.

In a row or rows; arranged in a straight line one after another. Now chiefly literary, poetic, or archaic.

Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.

Etymology of arow

Arow derives from the English noun "row," meaning a line of people or things, combined with the prefix "a-" that historically turned nouns into adverbs of state or position (compare "abed" and "astern"). The underlying noun "row" came into Middle English from Old French. The compound was in use by the early modern period but gradually faded as plain "in a row" took over.

How arow is actually used

This is a rare, largely obsolete word found mainly in older poetry and literature; it would strike most modern readers as archaic. It belongs to the same family as other fossilized prepositional adverbs like 'abed' and 'aloft'.

Easily confused with arow

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Rhymes with arow