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A weapon, used in discharging arrows, formed by placing a bow crosswise on a stock.

A crossbowman.[Obs.]

One who shoots with a crossbow. See Arbalest.

A crossbow, consisting of a steel bow set in a shaft of wood, furnished with a string and a trigger, and a mechanical device for bending the bow. It served to throw arrows, darts, bullets, etc. [Written also arbalet and arblast.] Fosbroke.

A crossbowman. [Obs.] Speed.

A crossbow. See Arbalest.

A crossbow. Fosbroke.

A crossbowman; one who used the arcubalist. Camden.

A crossbow. [Obs.] Blount.

An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.

A crossbow. [Obs.]

A shaft or missile intended to be shot from a crossbow or catapult, esp. a short, stout, blunt-headed arrow; a quarrel; an arrow, or that which resembles an arrow; a dart. Look that the crossbowmen lack not bolts. Sir W. Scott. A fool's bolt is soon shot. Shak.

An ancient engine of war analogous to the crossbow and ballista.

An engine somewhat resembling a massive crossbow, used by the ancient Greeks and Romans for throwing stones, arrows, spears, etc.

The notch of an arrow or crossbow.

A lever to bend crossbows.

A crossbow. [Obs.] Wright.

im; to direct. Bertram de Gordon, standing on the castle wall, leveled a quarrel out of a crossbow. Stow.

The ordinary bow, not mounted on a stock; -- so called in distinction from the crossbow when both were used as weapons of war. Also, sometimes, such a bow of about the height of a man, as distinguished from a much shorter one. To draw the longbow, to tell large stories.

A machine formerly used for bending a crossbow by winding it up.