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Crossbow terms and terminology.- Arbalist - Latin language term for
crossbow.
- Armbrust - German language term for
crossbow.
- Arrow - A projectile having a straight thin shaft with a pointed head at one end and often flight-stabilizing vanes at the other, meant to be shot from a bow.
- Bastard
String - String to brace a crossbow for
installation of bowstring;
synonym for bracing string.
- Bolt - Short heavy projectile for crossbow
resembling arrow
(several times heavier than a arrow). - Bowstring - String used on all archery
weapons to transfer energy from
bow to projectile.
- Braced
Height - Distance between braced
bowstring and belly side of riser,
measured from the bowstring's center.
- Butt - Rearmost portion of crossbow
stock.
- Center
Shot - Bow or crossbow lath designed
so that the arrow/bolt passes
through its center; center-shot crossbows often have two separate
limbs.
- Cock - To draw bowstring from braced
position to latched position.
- Cocking
Lugs - Metal protruberances on
crossbow for anchoring bending lever, cranequin or
goat's foot.
- Cocking
Peg - Peg required to set some
crossbow trigger
mechanisms prior to cocking.
- Cocking
Ring - Metal ring bound to the front
of the lath to
anchor bending lever.
- Cockscombing - Method of serving sometimes
used on loops of
crossbow bowstrings.
- Composite - Combination of materials used
to construct lath including horn, wood,
sinew and baleen.
- Compound - Modern lath construction using
cables and
eccentric pulleys.
- Cord And
Pulley - Cocking aid consisting of cord
with ends
attached to crossbow butt and user's belt running through a pulley
attached
to bowstring; provides mechanical advantage of 2:1.
- Crossbow - Archery weapon consisting of a
lath mounted to a rigid stock.
- Dry
Fire - To release cocked bowstring
without
projectile.
- End
Loop - Loops at either end of
bowstring.
- EndCap / Flatnock - Protective cap to protect rear
of bolt;
similar to arrow nock, but not forked.
- Goat's
Foot - Two-piece hinged cocking lever
designed to
pull bowstring from behind latch (curved shape of lever vaguely resembles
goats leg); provides mechanical advantage of about 5:1, varying with lever
length.
- Handbow - Term used to distinguish hand-
held bow from
crossbow.
- Latch - Mechanism for holding crossbow
bowstring in
cocked position, and for releasing bowstring when trigger is pulled.
- Lath - Bow portion of a crossbow
storing energy for propelling projectile; term preferred by some archery
historians; not common among modern crossbowmen.
- Limb - Portion of lath to right or
left of center
- Nock - Forked protective cap on rear
of bolt; usually necessary with trackless crossbows to keep bolt in contact with
string. Notches at each end of bow or lath to accept string are also
called
nocks.
- Nose - Forward end of crossbow;
sometimes used to
refer to assembly attaching lath to stock.
- Nut - Cylindrical latch usually made
of ivory or
antler.
- Power
Stroke - Distance between braced and
cocked string
positions as measured along track.
- Prod - Bow portion of crossbow.
- Quarrel - Bolt with four-sided head;
often used as
synonym for bolt.
- Quiver - Container for carrying arrows
or bolts.
- Riser - Thick, non-bending center
section of bow or
lath.
- Safety - Mechanical device, usually in
the form of a button or lever, used to
prevent crossbow from shooting unintentionally.
- Serving - Wrapping of thread used to
protect the center
and loops of bowstrings.
- Set
Trigger - Trigger which may be set to
release under very light pressure; 'hair
trigger'.
- Sled - Guide attached to the centre
of crossbow
bowstring to lessen string wear and insure exact centering of the string
when
cocking.
- Spanner - General term for any device
used to cock crossbows.
- Spanning - Physical act of cocking a
crossbow.
- String
Loop - Loop bound to center of some
crossbow
bowstrings to engage latch.
- Stirrup - Device for holding the
crossbow with feet
while cocking; usually 'D' or 'T' shaped, sometimes made from webbing or
rope.
- Stock - Portion of the crossbow to
which all other
components are attached and by which it is held.
- Track - Grooved portion of the
crossbow between the
lath and latch where the bolt rides.
- Trackless - Crossbow with an bolt rest in
front instead
of a full-length groove; forked nocks usually necessary to maintain
contact
between bolt and string.
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Copyright 2001 - 2010.
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