Definition of "crossbow" [cross•bow]

• A weapon consisting of a bow fixed crosswise on a wooden stock, with grooves on the stock to direct the projectile. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Using a crossbow is all good, but if you can physically hunt with a compound than why not."
• "I'd say that between 5-20 yds the crossbow is an efficient tool too kill an animal but outside of 25 yds the crossbow bolt drops like a rock."
• "In my humble opinion, a crossbow is as close to a longbow (the original bow) as a compound bow."