teer

Teer is a term used in several South Asian languages, most notably Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, and Urdu, where it means arrow. In these languages, teer refers to the projectile used with a bow, and it appears in idioms and poetry related to archery, hunting, and warfare. The word is cognate with Sanskrit forms such as tīra or teera, reflecting the shared archaic vocabulary for archery across the region.

In contemporary usage, the best-known reference to Teer outside of ordinary language is Shillong Teer, a government-licensed archery-based lottery in Meghalaya, India. The game centers on a daily total of arrows fired by a group of archers. Ticket holders place bets on the final teer count, and winnings are awarded based on how closely a ticket matches the day’s total. Games are run by licensed archery associations under state regulation, with rules on eligibility, draw procedures, and payout structures. Shillong Teer attracts participants from northeastern India and has become a notable example of traditional sport intersecting with modern gambling regulation; it has also faced criticism and calls for reform related to gambling concerns and social impact.

Beyond the lottery, teer as a noun remains a common term for arrow in everyday language and cultural contexts, occasionally appearing in literature, folklore, and sports commentary.