What does arrowing mean?
Arrowing is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'to arrow', which means to move swiftly and directly toward a destination, in the manner of an arrow shot from a bow. The word appears most often in descriptive prose — particularly nature writing and sports reporting — where it lends vividness to accounts of birds diving, fish darting, or athletes sprinting straight at a goal. A typical construction is 'a falcon came arrowing down on its prey'. Because the underlying verb is somewhat literary rather than everyday, arrowing carries a slightly elevated, evocative register; writers choose it precisely because plainer alternatives like 'rushing' or 'flying' lack its image of straight-line speed and purpose. Its meaning is transparent to any reader who knows the noun 'arrow', making it an economical way to convey both velocity and direction in a single word.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'arrow')The present participle of the verb 'arrow', meaning to move swiftly and directly toward a target, like an arrow in flight. As a gerund, it names the act of moving rapidly and straight at something.
- Moving swiftly and directly toward something, like an arrow in flight (present participle of the verb 'arrow').
- The act or instance of such swift, direct movement (gerund).
"A heron came arrowing down over the reeds and snatched a fish from the shallows."
"Swifts went arrowing overhead as the sun set behind the hills."
"He watched the kestrel arrowing toward the hedgerow before folding its wings."
When birds 'arrow' through the sky, English borrows the weapon's name for pure speed — one of the few verbs named after a projectile.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arrowing
The word derives from 'arrow', which entered Middle English from Old French 'arewe' (earlier 'arrue'), likely of Germanic origin and related to Old Norse 'ör' and Gothic 'arhwazna', from a Proto-Germanic root connected to archery. The verb 'to arrow', meaning to move like an arrow, developed by figurative extension from the noun, probably in the 19th century, and arrowing is simply its regular -ing form. Related derivatives sharing the same root include 'arrowhead', 'arrowy', and 'arrowroot'.
Related word forms
How arrowing is actually used
'Arrowing' is a relatively uncommon literary form, found mostly in descriptive nature writing and journalism. The verb 'arrow' itself is far more often used intransitively in participial constructions ('went arrowing past') than as a finite verb.
Easily confused with arrowing
'Harrowing' means deeply distressing or disturbing, while 'arrowing' describes swift, direct movement like that of an arrow.