Q 01/05

What is the bow part of a crossbow called?

A) The prod

B) The tiller

C) The nut

D) The stirrup

Answer · why

A) The prod

It is also called the lath; the word prod apparently comes from a 19th-century mistranslation of rodd in a 16th-century inventory.

Q 02/05

The main frame of a crossbow, held like the stock of a gun, is called what?

A) The tiller

B) The prod

C) The quarrel

D) The lath

Answer · why

A) The tiller

The bow-like assembly is mounted horizontally across it, which is what puts the cross in crossbow.

Q 03/05

The arrow-like projectiles shot by a crossbow are called bolts or what?

A) Darts

B) Quarrels

C) Flights

D) Shafts

Answer · why

B) Quarrels

The word comes from Old French for a square thing, after their typically square heads.

Q 04/05

Compared with arrows shot from a traditional hand bow, crossbow bolts are typically what?

A) Longer and lighter

B) The same size

C) Longer and heavier

D) Shorter and heavier

Answer · why

D) Shorter and heavier

A crossbow's short draw length means the bolt has to be stiff and heavy to take the energy from a very high draw weight.

Q 05/05

A crossbow shooter may be called an arbalist, after the arbalest, a European crossbow of which century?

A) 12th

B) 10th

C) 8th

D) 15th

Answer · why

A) 12th

The name descends from the Roman arcuballista, bow plus missile-throwing engine.