forelimb

American

[fawr-lim, fohr-] / ˈfɔrˌlɪm, ˈfoʊr- /

noun

a front limb of an animal.

forelimb British

/ ˈfɔːˌlɪm /

noun

either of the front or anterior limbs of a four-limbed vertebrate: a foreleg, flipper, or wing

"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

Etymology

Origin of forelimb

First recorded in 1785–95; fore- + limb ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Interestingly, researchers were even able to change the forelimb preference of the mice.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2024

Instead, it is believed that the primate moved around by combining various motion types — clambering, climbing, bipedalism, quadrupedalism and forelimb suspension.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2024

Since 2016, he had some discomfort and lameness in his right forelimb, zoo officials said.

From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2022

Large swaths of preserved skin covers the bones of the dinosaur’s right forelimb, hind limbs and tail.

From Scientific American • Oct. 14, 2022

Jeff ducked and strained his weight against the bunk, momentarily pinning the Zid's threshing forelimb.

From Traders Risk by Aycock, Roger D.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023