limb

[ lim ]

/ lɪm /

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See synonyms for: limb / limbs on Thesaurus.com

noun

a part or member of an animal body distinct from the head and trunk, as a leg, arm, or wing: the lower limbs;artificial limbs.

a large or main branch of a tree.

a projecting part or member:the four limbs of a cross.

a person or thing regarded as a part, member, branch, offshoot, or scion of something: a limb of the central committee.

Archery. the upper or lower part of a bow.

Informal. a mischievous child, imp, or young scamp.

verb (used with object)

to cut the limbs from (a felled tree).

OTHER WORDS FOR limb

1 extremity.

See synonyms for limb on Thesaurus.com

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Idioms about limb

out on a limb, in a dangerous or compromising situation; vulnerable: The company overextended itself financially and was soon out on a limb.

Origin of limb

First recorded before 900; the spelling limb first appears at the end of the 16th century, probably influenced by limb²; Middle English lim, lim(m)e, Old English lim; akin to Old Norse lim “small branches, foliage,” limr “limb, joint (of meat),” līmi “broom (of twigs), rod,” Latin līmus “aslant, oblique,” līmen “transverse beam, threshold, lintel.”

synonym study for limb

2. See branch.

OTHER WORDS FROM limb

limb·less, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH limb

limb , limn

Words nearby limb

limacine, limaçon, liman, Limassol, Limavady, limb, limba, limbate, limbed, limber, limber hole

Other definitions for limb (2 of 2)

limb²

[ lim ]

/ lɪm /

noun

Astronomy. the edge of the disk of the sun, a moon, or a planet.

the graduated edge of a quadrant or similar instrument.

Botany.

the upper spreading part of a gamopetalous corolla.
the expanded portion of a petal, sepal, or leaf.

Origin of limb

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English limbe, from Old French limbe, and Latin limbus limbus²;see also limbo¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use limb in a sentence

They’ve got an extra set of limbs — two human arms plus four horse legs.
How do you build a centaur?|Bethany Brookshire|February 10, 2021|Science News For Students
The reps are performed slowly, taking ten seconds up and ten seconds down, without locking the limbs or resting at the top or bottom of the motion.
The Data Behind a Once-a-Week Strength Routine|Alex Hutchinson|February 2, 2021|Outside Online
Just wrap it around a green limb bent into a circle and face it into the sun.
The life-saving space blanket has humble origins|By Keith McCafferty/Field & Stream|January 21, 2021|Popular-Science
A 2019 meta-analysis found no benefits to muscle strength, and another 2019 meta-analysis found benefits to upper limb but not lower limb muscle strength.
Reevaluating Vitamin D as a Sports Supplement|Alex Hutchinson|January 20, 2021|Outside Online

Her hair’s a mess, her limbs are streaked with blood, and there’s a ball-busting steeliness in her eyes.
Promising Young Woman Starts with a Cathartic Blast. Then It Gets Bogged Down With Cynicism|Stephanie Zacharek|January 15, 2021|Time
Inevitably, the old visceral “hands-on” flying skills, no longer much employed by pilots, have atrophied like an unused limb.
Flight 8501 Poses Question: Are Modern Jets Too Automated to Fly?|Clive Irving|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Mating with a cousin or brother is safer than risking life and limb to mate with an outsider.
Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We can do anything here from open heart surgery to limb amputations,” he says.
Behind the Scenes With a ‘Site Agent’: The Secret Service’s Hardest Job|Marc Ambinder|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some might want to be the star, others to direct, but it takes a special breed to want to risk life and limb as a stuntman.
Amateur Stuntmen, the iPhone 6, and More Viral Videos|Jack Holmes|August 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So now, keeping all that in mind, how many Afghans do you think risked life and limb to cast their ballot?
Would You Risk Your Life to Vote? It Looks Like 7 Million Afghans Did.|Dean Obeidallah|April 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The secretary trembled in his every limb; his eyes shunned his master's as his master's had shunned Garnache's awhile ago.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
"You have give a limb," repeated Perry, emphasizing the announcement by shaking his finger at the old man.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Those in favor of hanging carried the day, so he was led under the projecting limb of a tree and a rope placed around his neck.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Scattergood, with great show of solicitude, dispatched a youngster to the deacon's house for his extra limb.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
It was such a partition as is effected by hacking a living man limb from limb.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for limb (1 of 2)

limb¹

/ (lɪm) /

noun

an arm or leg, or the analogous part on an animal, such as a wing

any of the main branches of a tree

a branching or projecting section or member; extension

a person or thing considered to be a member, part, or agent of a larger group or thing

mainly British a mischievous child (esp in limb of Satan or limb of the devil)

out on a limb

in a precarious or questionable position
British isolated, esp because of unpopular opinions

verb

(tr) a rare word for dismember

Derived forms of limb

limbless, adjective

Word Origin for limb

Old English lim; related to Old Norse limr

British Dictionary definitions for limb (2 of 2)

limb²

/ (lɪm) /

noun

the edge of the apparent disc of the sun, a moon, or a planet

a graduated arc attached to instruments, such as the sextant, used for measuring angles

botany

the expanded upper part of a bell-shaped corolla
the expanded part of a leaf, petal, or sepal

either of the two halves of a bow

Also called: fold limb either of the sides of a geological fold

Word Origin for limb

C15: from Latin limbus edge

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

Scientific definitions for limb

limb

[ lĭm ]

One of the appendages of an animal, such as an arm of a starfish, the flipper of dolphins, or the arm and leg of a human, used for locomotion or grasping.

The expanded tip of a plant organ, such as a petal or corolla lobe.

The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body.

Other Idioms and Phrases with limb

limb

see out on a limb; risk life and limb.

limb

OTHER WORDS FOR limb

Idioms about limb

Origin of limb

synonym study for limb

OTHER WORDS FROM limb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH limb

Words nearby limb

Other definitions for limb (2 of 2)

Origin of limb

Words related to limb

How to use limb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for limb (1 of 2)

Derived forms of limb

Word Origin for limb

British Dictionary definitions for limb (2 of 2)

Word Origin for limb

Scientific definitions for limb

Other Idioms and Phrases with limb