fletcher

noun

1. 1

   One who fletches or feathers arrows.

   This thing, if a man take not hede on, he may chaunce have cauſe to ſay ſo of his fletcher, as in dreſſinge of meate is commonlye ſayde of cookes: and that is, that God ſendeth us good feathers, but the devill noughtye fletchers.

   In order that distant countries should be furnished with bowyers, fletchers, and arrow head makers, any of those workmen, not being freemen of London, might be sent by the appointment of the king's council, the lord chancellor, lord privy seal, or one of them, to inhabit the city, borough or town within the realm that was destitute of such artificers.

   An arrow maker is a fletcher, or, more exactly, one who feathers arrows.

2. 2

   A device to assist in fletching or feathering arrows.

   I don't like using a fletcher, the single feather ones are too slow, and the three feather ones inaccurate.

   A fletcher that mechanically takes care of gluing feathers to arrow shafts is a great help in either making or repairing arrows.

   Fletching jigs are available either as a single fletch unit or as a multi-fletcher, which can fletch up to six arrows at once.

   A fletcher is the tool that actually holds the arrow and sets the vane or feather in place while it is being glued.

3. 3

   Generally, a manufacturer of bows and arrows.

   Robert Frankham of Colchester, fletcher, or maker of bows and arrowy, did, by his will, dated the 20th of July, 1577, give a yearly rent-charge of thirteen shillings and four-pence out of a tenement and six acres of land in West Bergholt, for ever;

   Very speedily the Fletcher arrived. It was his trade, the making of bows and arrows, and the marks of the various makers were as well known to him as the marks on his own.

   […] some of the best bows were made by Elven fletchers in the nearby woods to the east of the city.

   In the spring of 1415 Nicholas Mynot was ordered by an impatient Henry to take on another dozen fletchers at the Tower armoury workshop to step up production of the bows and arrows needed in France

4. 4

   datedA weir or dam.

   They [some boards] had been washed away from the fletcher by the flood.

   You saw the river as you came along. Just above that bridge where you crossed there is a fletcher - weir, as some call them. Diver [a dog] used to cross the stream regular by running over the fletcher, and the other dogs picked up the trick from him.

Forms

plural

fletchers