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arm1

[ahrm] /ɑrm/
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noun
1.
the upper limb of the human body, especially the part extending from the shoulder to the wrist.
2.
the upper limb from the shoulder to the elbow.
3.
the forelimb of any vertebrate.
4.
some part of an organism like or likened to an arm.
5.
any armlike part or attachment, as the tone arm of a phonograph.
6.
a covering for the arm, especially a sleeve of a garment:
the arm of a coat.
7.
an administrative or operational branch of an organization:
A special arm of the government will investigate.
8.
Nautical. any of the curved or bent pieces of an anchor, terminating in the flukes.
9.
an armrest.
10.
an inlet or cove:
an arm of the sea.
11.
a combat branch of the military service, as the infantry, cavalry, or field artillery.
12.
power; might; strength; authority:
the long arm of the law.
13.
Typography. either of the extensions to the right of the vertical line of a K or upward from the vertical stem of a Y.
Idioms
14.
an arm and a leg, a great deal of money:
Our night on the town cost us an arm and a leg.
15.
arm in arm, with arms linked together or intertwined:
They walked along arm in arm.
16.
at arm's length, not on familiar or friendly terms; at a distance:
He's the kind of person you pity but want to keep at arm's length.
17.
in the arms of Morpheus, asleep:
After a strenuous day, he was soon in the arms of Morpheus.
18.
on the arm, Slang. free of charge; gratis:
an investigation of policemen who ate lunch on the arm.
19.
put the arm on, Slang.
  1. to solicit or borrow money from:
    She put the arm on me for a generous contribution.
  2. to use force or violence on; use strong-arm tactics on:
    If they don't cooperate, put the arm on them.
20.
twist someone's arm, to use force or coercion on someone.
21.
with open arms, cordially; with warm hospitality:
a country that receives immigrants with open arms.
Origin of arm1
Middle English
Old English
900
before 900; Middle English; Old English earm; cognate with Gothic arms, Old Norse armr, Old Frisian erm, Dutch, Old Saxon, Old High German arm (German Arm) arm; Latin armus, Serbo-Croatian rȁme, rȁmo shoulder; akin to Sanskrit īrmá, Avestan arəma-, OPruss irmo arm; not akin to Latin arma arm2
Related forms
armed, adjective
armlike, adjective
Can be confused
alms, arms.

arm2

[ahrm] /ɑrm/
noun
1.
Usually, arms. weapons, especially firearms.
2.
arms, Heraldry. the escutcheon, with its divisions, charges, and tinctures, and the other components forming an achievement that symbolizes and is reserved for a person, family, or corporate body; armorial bearings; coat of arms.
verb (used without object)
3.
to enter into a state of hostility or of readiness for war.
verb (used with object)
4.
to equip with weapons:
to arm the troops.
5.
to activate (a fuze) so that it will explode the charge at the time desired.
6.
to cover protectively.
7.
to provide with whatever will add strength, force, or security; support; fortify:
He was armed with statistics and facts.
8.
to equip or prepare for any specific purpose or effective use:
to arm a security system; to arm oneself with persuasive arguments.
9.
to prepare for action; make fit; ready.
Idioms
10.
bear arms,
  1. to carry weapons.
  2. to serve as a member of the military or of contending forces:
    His religious convictions kept him from bearing arms, but he served as an ambulance driver with the Red Cross.
11.
take up arms, to prepare for war; go to war:
to take up arms against the enemy.
12.
under arms, ready for battle; trained and equipped:
The number of men under arms is no longer the decisive factor in warfare.
13.
up in arms, ready to take action; indignant; outraged:
There is no need to get up in arms over such a trifle.
Origin
1200-50 for v.; 1300-50 for noun; (v.) Middle English armen < Anglo-French, Old French armer < Latin armāre to arm, verbal derivative of arma (plural) tools, weapons (not akin to arm1); (noun) Middle English armes (plural) ≪ Latin arma, as above
Related forms
armless, adjective
Synonyms
See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com
8. outfit.
Antonyms
5. deactivate, disarm.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
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Examples from the Web for arms
Contemporary Examples
Historical Examples

  • He groaned aloud, and, with his arms on the railing, thought and thought.

    The Woman-Haters Joseph C. Lincoln

  • They held their guns in the hollow of their arms, while Jim, with raised arm, was speaking.

    Still Jim Honor Willsie Morrow

  • Gently he disengaged himself from the arms her ladyship now flung about him.

    The Snare Rafael Sabatini

  • Pen threw her arms round Mrs. Flynn and kissed her plump cheek.

    Still Jim Honor Willsie Morrow

  • I began to tremble, seized one of his arms, and implored him not to be angry.

    Debts of Honor Maurus Jkai
British Dictionary definitions for arms

arms

/ɑːmz/
plural noun
1.
weapons collectively See also small arms
2.
military exploits: prowess in arms
3.
the official heraldic symbols of a family, state, etc, including a shield with distinctive devices, and often supports, a crest, or other insignia
4.
bear arms
  1. to carry weapons
  2. to serve in the armed forces
  3. to have a coat of arms
5.
in arms, under arms, armed and prepared for war
6.
lay down one's arms, to stop fighting; surrender
7.
(military) present arms
  1. a position of salute in which the rifle is brought up to a position vertically in line with the body, muzzle uppermost and trigger guard to the fore
  2. the command for this drill
8.
take arms, take up arms, to prepare to fight
9.
to arms!, arm yourselves!
10.
up in arms, indignant; prepared to protest strongly
Word Origin
C13: from Old French armes, from Latin arma; see arm²

arm1

/ɑːm/
noun
1.
(in man) either of the upper limbs from the shoulder to the wrist related adjective brachial
2.
the part of either of the upper limbs from the elbow to the wrist; forearm
3.
  1. the corresponding limb of any other vertebrate
  2. an armlike appendage of some invertebrates
4.
an object that covers or supports the human arm, esp the sleeve of a garment or the side of a chair, sofa, etc
5.
anything considered to resemble an arm in appearance, position, or function, esp something that branches out from a central support or larger mass: an arm of the sea, the arm of a record player
6.
an administrative subdivision of an organization: an arm of the government
7.
power; authority: the arm of the law
8.
any of the specialist combatant sections of a military force, such as cavalry, infantry, etc
9.
(nautical) See yardarm
10.
(sport) especially (ball games) ability to throw or pitch: he has a good arm
11.
(informal) an arm and a leg, a large amount of money
12.
arm in arm, with arms linked
13.
at arm's length, at a distance; away from familiarity with or subjection to another
14.
(informal) give one's right arm, to be prepared to make any sacrifice
15.
in the arms of Morpheus, sleeping
16.
with open arms, with great warmth and hospitality: to welcome someone with open arms
verb
17.
(transitive) (archaic) to walk arm in arm with
Derived Forms
armless, adjective
armlike, adjective
Word Origin
Old English; related to German Arm, Old Norse armr arm, Latin armus shoulder, Greek harmos joint

arm2

/ɑːm/
verb (transitive)
1.
to equip with weapons as a preparation for war
2.
to provide (a person or thing) with something that strengthens, protects, or increases efficiency: he armed himself against the cold
3.
  1. to activate (a fuse) so that it will explode at the required time
  2. to prepare (an explosive device) for use by introducing a fuse or detonator
4.
(nautical) to pack arming into (a sounding lead)
noun
5.
(usually pl) a weapon, esp a firearm
See also arms
Word Origin
C14: (n) back formation from arms, from Old French armes, from Latin arma; (vb) from Old French armer to equip with arms, from Latin armāre, from arma arms, equipment

ARM

abbreviation
1.
adjustable rate mortgage
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word Origin and History for arms

arm

n.

"upper limb," Old English earm "arm," from Proto-Germanic *armaz (cf. Old Saxon, Danish, Swedish, Middle Dutch, German arm, Old Norse armr, Old Frisian erm), from PIE root *ar- "fit, join" (cf. Sanskrit irmah "arm," Armenian armukn "elbow," Old Prussian irmo "arm," Greek arthron "a joint," Latin armus "shoulder"). Arm of the sea was in Old English. Arm-twister "powerful persuader" is from 1938. Arm-wrestling is from 1899.

They wenten arme in arme yfere Into the gardyn [Chaucer]

"weapon," c.1300, armes (plural) "weapons of a warrior," from Old French armes (plural), "arms, war, warfare," mid-13c., from Latin arma "weapons" (including armor), literally "tools, implements (of war)," from PIE root *ar- "fit, join" (see arm (n.1)). The notion seems to be "that which is fitted together." Meaning "heraldic insignia" (in coat of arms, etc.) is early 14c.; originally they were borne on shields of fully armed knights or barons.

v.

"to furnish with weapons," c.1200, from Old French armer or directly from Latin armare, from arma (see arm (n.2)). Related: Armed; arming.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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arms in Medicine

arm 1 (ärm)
n.
An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Slang definitions & phrases for arms

arm

noun

A police officer

verb

highflag (Cabdrivers)

Related Terms

as long as your arm, crooked arm, one-arm bandit, ride the arm, stiff, twist someone's arm

[police sense fr arm of the law]

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.
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Related Abbreviations for arms

ARM

1.
adjustable rate mortgage
2.
Alien Resistance Movement
3.
antiradiation missile
4.
Armenia (international vehicle ID)
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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arms in the Bible

used to denote power (Ps. 10:15; Ezek. 30:21; Jer. 48:25). It is also used of the omnipotence of God (Ex. 15:16; Ps. 89:13; 98:1; 77:15; Isa. 53:1; John 12:38; Acts 13:17)

Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary
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Idioms and Phrases with arms

arm

also see:
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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6
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