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Etymology

From Middle English arwe, from Old English earh (oblique form ēarw-), from Proto-Germanic *arhwō, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂érkʷo- (“bow, arrow”). Cognate with Faroese ørv (“arrow”), Icelandic ör (“arrow”), örvar (“arrows”), Gothic 𐌰𐍂𐍈𐌰𐌶𐌽𐌰 (arƕazna, “dart”), Latin arcus (“bow”).

noun

1. A projectile consisting of a shaft, a point and a tail with stabilizing fins that is shot from a bow.
2. A sign or symbol used to indicate a direction (e.g. →).
   Consider now the arrow with initial point A and terminal point B; this arrow we shall designate by overrightarrow AB. If a_1,a_2,a_3, and b_1,b_2,b_3 are the coordinates of A and B, respectively, then overrightarrow AB is equal to the arrow overrightarrow OP, where O is the origin of the coordinate system and P has coordinates b_1-a_1,b_2-a_2,b_3-a_3. Thus each arrow is equal to one having the origin as its initial point. 1968, Robert R. Stoll, Edward T. Wong, Linear Algebra, London: Academic Press, →LCCN, pages 2–3
3. (graph theory) A directed edge.
4. (colloquial, darts) A dart.
   The second arrow flew through the air in a drunken parabolic curve and nestled just below the previous dart. Twenty! “Good arrows!” came from all around the room. Total silence came from the opposition corner. 2014, John Eaton, It's Gonna Rain All Night, page 182
5. (computing) The -> symbol, which has specific meanings in various programming languages.
6. (botany) The inflorescence or tassel of a mature sugar cane plant.
   When the bulb of the “blowing ball” is operated, a gentle spray, much like what happens in Nature when a sugar cane arrow is shaken by the wind or gently tapped, is given out at the free end of the capsule and can be directed to any portion of the arrow as desired. 1921, The Louisiana Planter and Sugar Manufacturer, volume 67, page 187

verb

1. (intransitive) To move swiftly and directly (like an arrow).
   Above his head, a startled bird arrows up, into the sun. 2019, Maaza Mengiste, The Shadow King, Canongate Books (2020), page 279
2. (transitive) To let fly swiftly and directly.
   Jermain Defoe dinked in an equaliser and Gareth Bale hit the crossbar for the hosts before Elliott Bennett arrowed in Norwich's winner. April 9, 2012, Mandeep Sanghera, “Tottenham 1 - 2 Norwich”, in BBC Sport
3. (intransitive, botany, of a sugar cane plant) To develop an inflorescence.
   The more vigorous and luxuriant the vegetation of a field of canes, the less will the tendency to flowering be shewn; whereas nearly all the canes will be found to arrow if the soil be poor and the vegetation meagre. 1848, Louis Antoine A.G. De Verteuil, Three essays on the cultivation of the sugar-cane in Trinidad, page 12
   In some sugar cane countries efforts are made to harvest the cane crops before the period of arrowing, and in Barbados it is thought that a considerable loss occurs in the yield of sugar if the harvest be delayed and only completed through the arrowing season. 1903, Planter and Sugar Manufacturer, volume 30, page 374
   It is easily grown and arrows freely. It appears to be of moderate merit only, but might be cautiously tried on a small scale. 1905, Sugar-Cane Experiments in the Leeward Islands
4. (computing, intransitive) To navigate using the arrow keys.
   Arrow left until you reach the start of the text you want to delete.