arm Hear it!

arm¹ Definition

arm (ärm)

noun

    1. an upper limb of the human body
    2. in anatomy, the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the elbow
    3. in nontechnical use, the part of the upper limb between the shoulder and the wrist
  2. anything resembling this in structure or function; esp.,
    1. the forelimb of some vertebrate animals
    2. any limb of an invertebrate animal
  3. anything commonly in contact with the human arm; esp.,
    1. a sleeve of a garment
    2. a support for the arm on a chair, sofa, etc.
  4. anything thought of as armlike, esp. in being attached or connected to something larger an arm of the sea, a yardarm, the arm of a balance, an arm of the government, etc.
  5. power to seize, control, etc. the long arm of the law
  6. ☆ Baseball, Football ability to pitch or throw a ball

Etymology: ME < OE earm; akin to L armus, Goth arms, OHG arm: see art

arm¹ Related Forms
arm′·less (-lis) adjective arm′·like′ adjective
arm¹ Idioms

an arm and a leg

a very great amount of money it cost me an arm and a leg

arm in arm

with arms interlocked, as two persons walking together

at arm's length

at a distance emotionally so as to avoid intimacy, the appearance of favoritism, etc.

put the arm on

☆ Slang
  1. to arrest or restrain
  2. to request a loan or donation from

with open arms

in a warm and friendly way

arm² Definition

arm (ärm)

noun

  1. any instrument used in fighting; weapon: usually used in pl.
  2. warfare; fighting
    1. coat of arms
    2. insignia of countries, corporations, etc.

  4. Etymology: a merging with arm (sense )

    any combatant branch of the military forces

Etymology: ME < OFr armes, pl. < L arma, implements, weapons; akin to armus, shoulder, upper arm (see art): for semantic development see arm, sense

transitive verb

  1. to provide with weapons, tools, etc.
  2. to provide with something that protects or fortifies
  3. to prepare to attack or to meet attack reporters armed with questions
  4. to make ready or equip with parts needed for operation to arm a missile with a warhead

Etymology: ME armen < OFr armer < L armare, to arm < arma: see the n.

intransitive verb

  1. to equip oneself with weapons, as in preparing for war
  2. to prepare for any struggle

arm² Idioms

bear arms

  1. to carry or be equipped with weapons
  2. to serve as a combatant in the armed forces

take up arms

  1. to go to war or rise in rebellion
  2. to enter a dispute

to arms!

get ready to fight!

under arms

equipped with weapons; ready for war

up in arms

  1. prepared to fight
  2. indignant
ARM Definition

ARM

adjustable-rate mortgage

arm Synonyms

arm

n.

  1. The upper human limb

    member, appendage, forelimb, forearm, fin*, soupbone*.

  2. Anything resembling an arm, sense 1

    bend, crook, projection, cylinder, sofa-end, branch, limb, appendage, rod, assembly, bough, offshoot, wing, prong, stump, hook, handle, bow, sleeve.

  3. A narrow stretch of water

    inlet, tributary, subdivision, branch, stream, estuary, sound, creek, run, brook, rivulet; see also bay.

  4. A weapon

    implement of war, gun, firearm; see arms 1.

  5. A branch

    division, department, unit; see branch 1.

at arm's length

aloof, at a distance, haughty, remote; see away 1, unfriendly 2.

with open arms

warmly, affectionately, joyously, cordially; see friendly 1, sympathetically.

arm Synonyms

arm

v.

  1. To equip

    supply, outfit, furnish; see provide 1.

  2. To equip with weapons

    furnish weapons, prepare for combat, load, give firearms, issue weapons, equip with arms, accouter, array, gird, outfit, fit out, supply with instruments of warfare, provide with arms, munition, fortify. See syn. study at furnish.

    Antonyms disarm*, demilitarize*, deactivate. *

arm’s length Law Definition

adj

Of or relating to the bargaining position or dealings of two or more unrelated parties of approximately equal bargaining power who are not connected, on close terms, or in a confidential relationship with each other and whose mutual dealings are influenced only by their own self-interest.
arm Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • outstretch: To start, you can keep your arms outstretched for balance; but as you progress, start folding your arms across your chest.
  • fold: I glanced at Curtis as he stood with folded arms intently gazing at the distant point.
  • swing: Dellape's late shoulder set up the wing for what appeared to be a swinging arm from behind by the tight-head prop.
  • bear: It contains a massive 16th century tomb bearing the family arms.

Adjective modifier

  • upper: Blood samples can be taken from sites such as the forearm, the upper arm, thigh and the base of the thumb.
  • left: Every club in the country would give their left arm to get him.
  • broken: I had an amazing time, even tho i had a broken arm.
  • robotic: The instrument uses 400 optical fibers, which a robotic arm takes about one hour to position with incredible accuracy.

Modifies a noun

  • race: During the FC, a special session was devoted to ' prevention of an arms race in outer space ' on Tuesday October 19.
  • dealer: This time boarding the Jubliee Line from Canning Town with the arms dealers.
  • export: Their findings suggest that a more responsible approach to arms exports is not a question of economic loss versus moral gain.
  • length: At arms length try pouring water into a glass or bringing two pencil ends on top of each.

Noun used with modifier

  • spiral: Our Galaxy has spiral arms in its disk - these spiral arms are regions of active star formation.
  • lever: In addition, it also helps to minimize offset errors and MRU lever arm effects on the bathymetry data.
  • swing: The Five has a major swing arm update too.
  • wiper: Colin Gore: Take the top of the scuttle panel off that sits just below the wiper arms.

Possessives

  • length: Light them at arm's length, using a taper.

Preposition: with

  • handgun: The first man involved, who was armed with a handgun, wore a light colored t-shirt.
  • knife: Mary Carpenter has revealed that young children have been arriving in class armed with knives and other weapons.
arm Quotes

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the L revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely hehath borne ourgriefs, and carried our sorrows.

—Bible (Old Testament)

To disarm the strong and arm the weak would be to change the social order which it's my job to preserve. Justice is the means by which established injustices are sanctioned.

—Thibault

It asks more steadiness, self-control, ay, and manly courage, than any other exercise.You must take as well as giveöeye to eye, toe to toe, and arm to arm.

—Peel, Sir Robert

'I saw the new moon late yestreen, Wi' the auld moon in her arm; And if we gang to sea, master, I fear we'll come to harm.'

—Ballads

  And there he bounde the gyrdyll aboute the hyltis, and threw theswerde as farre intothewatirashemyght. And there cam an arme and an honde above the watir, and toke hit and cleyght hit, and shoke hit thryse and braundysshed, and than vanysshed with the swerde into the watir.

—Malory, SirThomas   d.1471

Heshall feed hisflock likea shepherd: heshallgather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

—Bible (Old Testament)

I'd have given my right arm to be a pianist.

—Robson, Sir Bobby

[Charlton] Heston thinks America should arm its teachers; he seems to believe that schools would be safer if staff had the power to gun down children in their charge.

—Rushdie, (Ahmed) Salman

   Lay your sleeping head, my love, Human on my faithless arm.

—Auden,W(ystan) H(ugh)

Look at me! Look at myarm!† I have plowed, and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head meöand ar'n't I a woman? I could work as much and eat as much as a man (when I could get it), and bear de lash as wellöand ar'n't I a woman? I have borne thirteenchilernandseen'emmos'allsoldoff intoslavery, and when I cried out with a mother's grief, none but Jesus heardöand ar'n't I a woman?

—Truth, Sojourner ne¤  e Isabella

Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the L hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The L hath made bare his holyarm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

—Bible (Old Testament)

Why do you lie with your legs ungainly huddled, And one arm bent across your sullen cold Exhausted face?

—Sassoon, Siegfried Louvain

I therefore fearlessly challenge the verdict which this house†is to give on the question now brought before it†whether, as the Roman, in days of old, held himself free from indignity, when he could say Civis Romanus sum; so also a British subject, in whatever land he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England will protect him against injustice and wrong.

—Palmerston, HenryJohnTemple, 3rd Viscount

Oh, poor Dolly! I never shall see her like again; such an arm for a bandageöveins that seemed to invite the lancet.

—Sheridan, Richard Brinsley

   Clear the air! clean the sky! wash the wind! take the stonefromthestone, taketheskinfromthearm, takethe muscle from bone, and wash them.

—Eliot,T(homas) S(tearns)

Where are Elmer, Herman, Bert,Tom and Charley, The weak of will, the strong of arm, the clown, the boozer, the fighter? All, all, are sleeping on the hill.

—Masters, Edgar Lee

And as she wept, her tears to pearl he turned, And wound them on his arm, and for her mourned.

—Marlowe, Christopher

Give me your arm, old toad; Help me down Cemetery Road.

—Larkin, Philip Arthur