Archery Glossary: Common Terms for Beginners

Archery has a language of its own, and walking into a pro shop or reading a bow spec sheet can feel like decoding jargon. This glossary explains the terms beginners run into most, in plain English, so the range and the gear make sense. Where a term deserves its own deep dive, we've linked to it.

Bow Parts

• Riser — the central body of the bow you hold (the grip is here).
• Limbs — the flexible upper and lower arms that store energy when drawn.
• String — launches the arrow; also holds the nocking point and peep.
• Brace height — the distance from the string (at rest) to the grip. It affects speed and forgiveness.
• Cam — the wheel(s) on a compound bow that create the "let-off" (the reduced holding weight at full draw).
• Cable / cam system — the strings and wheels that power a compound.

Shooting Terms

• Draw — pulling the string back.
• Draw weight — how many pounds of force it takes to pull the string to full draw; see what draw weight should I use.
• Draw length — how far you pull the string, based on your body; see bow draw length and sizing.
• Anchor point — the consistent spot (corner of mouth, jaw) where your hand/string meets your face at full draw. Your "rear sight."
• Let-off — on a compound, the percentage drop in holding weight at full draw, so you can hold and aim comfortably.
• Follow-through — holding your form through and after the release.
• End — a group of arrows shot before you go collect them (commonly 3 or 6).

Arrow Terms

• Nock — the plastic tip at the arrow's back that clips onto the string.
• Fletching — the vanes or feathers that stabilize the arrow in flight.
• Spine — the arrow's stiffness. Matching spine to your setup is key to accuracy — see how to choose arrows.
• Point / tip — the front end; field points for target, broadheads for hunting.
• Shaft — the body of the arrow (carbon, aluminum, or wood).

Aiming and Gear

• Sight / pin — the aiming device and its aiming points; see how to aim a bow.
• Peep sight — a small ring in the string you look through to aim.
• Rest — holds the arrow on the bow as you draw and shoot.
• Release aid — a trigger device for cleanly releasing a compound string.
• Stabilizer — a rod that steadies the bow and dampens vibration; see compound bow accessories explained.
• Quiver — holds your arrows.

Types and Disciplines

• Recurve, compound, longbow, barebow — the main bow styles; see recurve vs compound bow and archery styles and disciplines explained.
• 3D archery — shooting at foam animal targets at unknown distances; see what is 3D archery.
• Instinctive / gap shooting — sightless aiming methods.

The Bottom Line

Once the vocabulary clicks — riser and limbs, draw weight and draw length, anchor and follow-through, nock, fletching, and spine — the rest of archery gets much easier to learn. Keep this handy for your first trips to the range, and don't hesitate to ask staff to explain a term; see archery for beginners.