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Glite Dictionary
🏹 A wide arrow 🔰 A government mark
broad arrow

broad arrow

9.9
A mark like an arrowhead that shows something belongs to the British government
  • noun
  • Archaic
translation icon : marca de flecha ancha
  • The crates were stamped with a broad arrow to indicate government ownership.

Examples

  • Only goods bearing the broad arrow were allowed on military transport.

  • Old muskets marked with the broad arrow became valuable collector's items.

  • The broad arrow was painted on the crates.

  • Many historical artifacts bear the broad arrow symbol.

  • Many historical artifacts bear the broad arrow symbol to show their connection to the British government.

  • The crates were stamped with a broad arrow to clearly indicate that they belonged to the military.

  • Only items marked with the broad arrow were permitted for use in government contracts.

Synonyms

arrow
vsbroad arrow
85 1.4

A mark like a straight line with a point that shows direction

is a historical mark indicating ownership by the British government

Surface Forms

broad arrow singular
broad arrows plural

Morphology

broad + arrow

The phrase literally combines 'broad' (wide) and 'arrow' (arrow/arrowhead), so a learner who knows the words can reasonably infer a wide or arrow-shaped mark. However, the conventional historical meaning—specifically a government property mark used in British contexts—is a cultural/institutional sense not predictable from the parts alone, so full understanding requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Broad arrow was also a simple arrowhead mark stamped on chests, weapons, and crates to show they belonged to the British government. So, when you saw the broad arrow mark it meant 'government property'.