Crossbow

A crossbow is like a regular bow and arrow 'cept you hold it sideways, which makes it "gangsta". Okay, seriously... a crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.

In film

 * Eight Legged Freaks: Sheriff Samantha Parker armed herself with a crossbow she found at a sporting goods store in the Prosperity Mall, which came in handy for fighting off hordes of invading giant spiders.