nock

Noun

nock (plural nocks)

1. Either of the two grooves in a bow that hold the bowstring.
   • Meanwhile there had been bustle and preparation in all parts of the great vessel. The archers stood in groups about the decks, new-stringing their bows, and testing that they were firm at the nocks.1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The White Company, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC
   • Each drew his string from its waterproof case and bent the huge arc of his war-bow as he fitted it into the nocks.1905–1906, Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Nigel, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], published January 1906, →OCLC
2. The notch at the rear of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.
   • He took his arrow by the nock.[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer...
3. The upper fore corner of a boom sail or trysail.

Verb

nock (third-person singular simple present nocks, present participle nocking, simple past and past participle nocked)

1. (transitive) To fit (an arrow) against the bowstring of a bow or crossbow.
   • Then taking up his own good stout bow and nocking an arrow with care, he shot with his very greatest skill.1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner’s Sons […], →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   notch

2. (transitive) To cut a nock in (usually in an arrow's base or the tips of a bow).
   • It is a Scotch bow, I see, for the upper nock is without and the lower within. By the black rood! it is a good piece of yew, well nocked, well strung, well waxed, and very joyful to the feel.1891, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, The White Company, New York, N.Y.; Boston, Mass.: Thomas Y[oung] Crowell & Company […], →OCLC

Interjection

1. Fit the arrow to your bowstring.

Proper noun capitalized: Nock

Nock (plural Nocks)

1. A surname.