small arm

American  

noun

1. Usually small arms. a firearm designed to be held in one or both hands while being fired: in the United States the term is applied to weapons of a caliber of up to one inch (2.5 centimeters).

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Other Word Forms

• small-armed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of small arm

First recorded in 1680–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

small arm

Earlier this year, Lewin funneled $3.8 billion to a small arm of the United Nations, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, quadrupling the budget of the agency.

From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026

His was what law enforcement calls a ghost gun, or an “independently fabricated” small arm.

From New York Times ● Oct. 9, 2020

Her first idea was a small arm patch to screen blood for infectious diseases and deliver antibiotics, according to Phyllis Gardner, a Stanford medical-school professor with whom Ms. Holmes consulted at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2015

The average disassembly time for an M-16, the standard small arm of the U.S.

From BusinessWeek ● Dec. 4, 2014

She stood by his side and beamed with satisfaction, waving one small arm in the air, while the people, released now from their solemnity, whistled and stamped their feet in ap-preciation.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry