long-bow
(ˈlɒŋbəʊ)
[See bow n.1 4.]
1. The name given to the bow drawn by hand and discharging a long feathered arrow (and so distinguished from cross-bow), the national arm of England from the 14th c. till the introduction of firearms. † occas. A soldier armed with a long-bow.
| 1500 Robin Hood (Ritson) ii. xx. 75 With a long bow they shot a fat doe. c 1511 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.) Introd. 34/2, .xv. M. longe bowes and .xl. M. othere men. 1530 Palsgr. 240/2 Long bowe, arc. 1590 Sir J. Smyth Disc. Conc. Weapons 38 The excellencie of our Long-bowes and Archers. 1598 Hakluyt Voy. I. 63 They..must..discharge at the enemie with long bowes and cros-bowes. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. ii. 186 The long Bow (the ancient glory of our English service). 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. ii. i. 46 The long-bow, so called, to distinguish it from the arbalist, or cross-bow. 1820 Scott Abbot iv, Shooting with hand-gun, cross-bow, or long-bow. 1868 C. M. Yonge Cameos I. xxxix. 334 The fatal power of the English long-bow was..well known to the Scots. |
2. Phr. to draw or pull the (or a) long-bow, occas. to draw with the long-bow: to make exaggerated statements (colloq.).
| 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (ed. 3) 8 There came to us several Tradesmen; the first of them a Poor Rogue that made profession of drawing the long Bow. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas i. v. ¶4 My grandfather set me the example of drawing the long bow. 1823 Byron Juan viii. cxxxviii, I have drawn much less with a long bow Than my forerunners. 1824 Ibid. xvi. i, At speaking truth perhaps they are less clever, But draw the long bow better now than ever. 1860 Thackeray Lovel ii, I dare say I drew a number of long bows about her. 1888 Inglis Tent Life Tigerland 97 Critics, who have twitted me with ‘drawing the long bow’. |
3. attrib.: † long-bow man (see sense 2).
| 1678 Ray Prov. (ed. 2) 89 A Lier..He's a long-bow-man. 1694 Motteux Rabelais v. xxx. 153 Tho' 'twere ælian that Long-Bow-man that told you so, never believe him. |