toxophilite

noun

tox·​oph·​i·​lite täk-ˈsä-fə-ˌlīt How to pronounce toxophilite (audio)
: a person fond of or expert at archery
toxophilite adjective
toxophily noun

Did you know?

Toxophilite became established in the language as the name for a late 18th-century English archery society. The word derives from Greek toxon, which referred to both a bow and arrow, and philos, meaning "loving." Today, toxophilite is a rarely used word but often occurs in vocabulary games and puzzles and in spelling bees. A more ubiquitous descendant of toxon is "toxic." Toxic is an anglicization of Latin's word for "poison," toxicum, which originally meant "poison for arrows" and is a borrowing from Greek toxikon, meaning "arrow."

Word History

Etymology

Greek toxon bow, arrow + philos dear, loving

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of toxophilite was in 1794

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Dictionary Entries Near toxophilite

Cite this Entry

“Toxophilite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/toxophilite. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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