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noun
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(US, euphemism) (military) An accidental event that involves nuclear weapons or nuclear components but does not create the risk of nuclear war.
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2004, Roland Everett Langford, Introduction to Weapons of Mass Destruction: Radiological, Chemical, and Biological, page 97:
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: In the US, the code name for a serious nuclear weapons incident is "Broken Arrow". It is US policy neither to confirm nor deny the existence of nuclear weapons at any specific location; this also applies to Broken Arrow incidents.
- (US military) a code phrase that a ground unit is facing imminent destruction from enemy attack and all available air forces within range are to provide air support immediately.
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(rfv-sense) (Olde English) A captured archer (who had subsequently been released or escaped) and had had his drawing fingers removed thus preventing his ability to shoot arrows, and hence was "broken". (Removal of the index finger and middle finger was a common punishment inflicted by the French on English archers throughout history, especially during medieval times.)
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(rfv-sense) (singular only) someone who has a low standard of behavior, a fallen angel, the opposite of a straight arrow.
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