Crossbow was a weapon used for shooting arrows, especially during the Middle Ages. It had a stout bow mounted horizontally across the end of a handle called a stock or tiller. To load the crossbow, the archer drew the bowstring back to a catch called a nut. To shoot, the archer pulled a trigger that released the string from the hook.
The most powerful crossbows needed a special cocking machine to draw the bowstring back. Archers could cock smaller crossbows by placing the bow against the feet and pulling the bowstring back by hand.
In ancient times, the Chinese used a simple kind of crossbow. During the Middle Ages in Europe, special infantry units consisted entirely of soldiers armed with crossbows. By the 1500’s, the longbow had gained popularity because it was faster to operate. The development of weapons that used gunpowder also reduced the crossbow’s value in war.
