Plural form of crossbowman; multiple soldiers trained to operate crossbows in military forces.
Plural of 'crossbowman' using the regular English '-men' plural form (from Old English 'mann'). This term specifically refers to organized military units.
Elite crossbowmen units in medieval armies could fire a bolt every 20 seconds and pierce plate armor from 300 yards away—making them the 'special forces' of their time and worth their considerable training cost.
Plural of '-man' suffix assumes male collective. While medieval military roles were male-dominated institutionally, the term unnecessarily excludes women who participated in archery and combat roles.
Use 'crossbow operators', 'crossbow archers', or 'crossbow forces' for inclusive group reference. 'Crossbowmen' acceptable in strict historical military contexts.
["crossbow operators","crossbow archers","crossbow units","crossbow forces"]
Historical records show female archers and crossbow operators in various campaigns; gendered terminology obscures their documented participation.
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