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forelimb

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

noun

  1. a front limb of an animal.


forelimb British  
/ ˈfɔːˌlɪm /

noun

  1. 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.

See Examples For:

The researchers compared forelimb length with skull length and identified five dinosaur groups with notably reduced forelimbs.

From Science Daily ● May 20, 2026

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

Initially, study co-author Becky Barnes, paleontologist and lab manager at the North Dakota Geological Survey, flagged potential bite marks on the specimen’s tail, and Householder found more on the “pinky finger” of the right forelimb.

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 Roger D. Aycock

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