Showing results for "armed"

• past tense form of arm.
• past participle of arm.

armed

¹ American  

[ahrmd] / ɑrmd /

adjective

1. having a specified number or kind of arms (often used in combination): a weak-armed quarterback.

   a four-armed Hindu god;

   a weak-armed quarterback.

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armed ² American  

[ahrmd] / ɑrmd /

adjective

1. bearing firearms; having weapons.

   a heavily armed patrol.

2. maintained by arms.

   armed peace.

3. involving the use of weapons.

   armed conflict.

4. equipped.

   The students came armed with their pocket calculators.

5. (especially of an animal) covered protectively, as by a shell.

6. fortified; made secure.

   Armed by an inveterate optimism, he withstood despair.

7. (of an artillery shell, bomb, missile, etc.) having the fuze made operative.

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armed ¹ British  

/ ɑːmd /

adjective

1. equipped with or supported by arms, armour, etc

2. prepared for conflict or any difficulty

3. (of an explosive device) prepared for use; having a fuse or detonator installed

4. (of plants) having the protection of thorns, spines, etc

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armed ² British  

/ ɑːmd /

adjective

1. 1. having an arm or arms

   2. ( in combination )

      long-armed

      one-armed

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Other Word Forms

• half-armed
  adjective
• well-armed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of armed¹

First recorded in 1500–10; arm ¹ ( def. ) + -ed ³ ( def. )

Origin of armed²

First recorded in 1250–1300; arm ², + -ed ² ( def. )

Explanation

If you're armed, you are carrying some kind of weapon. Armed soldiers are most commonly supplied with guns. In the United States, police officers are almost always armed, while British police usually don't carry guns. When a crime involves the use of a weapon, it might be described as an armed robbery, and even an animal is sometimes said to be armed: "The cat was armed with sharp teeth and claws against the puppy's enthusiasm." The Latin root is arma, "weapons," or "tools of war."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

armed

In Minneapolis, residents perceived the danger not as the vulnerable populations being stopped, but as armed federal power.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

On Sunday, Iran's armed forces stopped six vessels attempting to transit the Hormuz strait over the past 24 hours after warnings, according to state television.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Police issued a wanted notice for the 21-year-old suspect, identified under German privacy rules as Abdul B., warning the public not to approach him because he may be armed and dangerous.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Cooper said he concluded the men were armed after observing movements that differed from ordinary punching.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

When word of the German action reached the Russian capital, Czar Nicholas, after much hesitation, ordered the full mobilization of Russia’s armed forces.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• equipped
• loaded
• outfitted
• supplied