Lath

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The lath is the "bow" of a crossbow. This is also termed bow or (in the US) prod.

Early laths were made of wood and progressed to composites of horn and wood which continued to be used for hunting for many centuries. Later medieval laths were made of steel and could have draw weights in many hundreds of pounds. Commercially available replicas can have weights of around 500lbs and estimates of some medieval versions are pitted at 1200lbs although this is much debated.