Plural of bowman; soldiers or archers armed with bows, or rowers in the bow of a boat.
From 'bow' + 'men' (plural of man). In military contexts dating to ancient times, bowmen formed essential units of armies. In rowing, the bowman is the rower nearest the bow.
At the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, English bowmen devastated French knights—their arrows rained down so fast that contemporary accounts described them as creating a kind of aerial assault that heavily armored riders couldn't defend against!
Historically, 'bowmen' refers to male archers, codifying archery as a male-dominated skill in medieval military hierarchies. The male-specific term erased female archers from linguistic recognition despite documented examples across cultures.
Use 'archers' or 'bowyers' (those who make/use bows) for gender-neutral reference when referring to the skill or role generically.
["archers","bow users","bowyers"]
Historical records show women archers across medieval Europe, Central Asia, and East Asia; using inclusive language restores visibility to female archers who existed but were linguistically erased.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.