'arrowhead' is a compound of the English words 'arrow' and 'head'; 'arrow' originally meant the missile used with a bow and 'head' meant the front or top part.

'arrow' comes from Old English forms such as 'earh' / 'arwe' and 'head' from Old English 'heafod'; the compound 'arrow-head' appears in Middle English and developed into the modern single word 'arrowhead'.

Initially it referred specifically to the head or tip of a physical arrow; over time it has retained that primary meaning and also broadened to denote objects or shapes resembling an arrow's head (including certain plant names).