arm¹ /ärm/

1. The human forelimb from shoulder to hand
2. An upper limb in other bipedal mammals
3. A similar member in other animals, eg a tentacle
4. A narrow projecting part
5. An inlet
6. A branch
7. A subdivision of a large company, organization, etc, esp one specializing in a certain area, service or resource
8. A rail or support for the arm, eg on a chair
9. (in clothing) a sleeve
10. Power (figurative)
11. Ability to throw (sport)

1. To take in the arms
2. To conduct arm in arm

armed adjective

(usu in compounds) having an arm or arms, as in one-armed

armˈful noun (pl armˈfuls)

armˈless adjective

armˈlet noun

1. A little arm
2. A ring or band round the arm

armˈband noun

1. A band of cloth worn round the sleeve
2. An inflatable plastic cuff worn on the upper arm as a buoyancy aid

arm candy noun (informal)

Someone who is invited as a partner to a social event more to add to the glamour of the occasion than for his or her sparkling conversational skills

armˈchair noun

A chair with arms

adjective

1. Amateur
2. Stay-at-home
3. Doctrinaire, theoretical
4. Conducted from (the security or comfort of) home
5. Comfortable

armˈ-chancing noun and adjective see chance one's arm under chance

armˈhole noun

The hole in a garment through which the arm is put

armˈlock noun (in wrestling, etc; also figurative)

A hold by the arms (also transitive verb)

armˈpit noun

The hollow under the shoulder

armˈrest noun

The arm of a chair

arm wrestling noun

A test of strength whereby two people with their elbows resting on a flat surface each grip the other's hand and try to force it down until the arm touches the surface

arm in arm

With arms interlinked

as long as one's arm

(of a list, etc) extremely long

at arm's length

1. At a distance (lit and figurative)
2. Not showing friendliness or familiarity but careful detachment
3. (of negotiations, etc) in which each party preserves its independent ability to bargain (armsˈ-length adjective, eg in shareholding, having broad and ultimate control, without involvement in policy decisions, etc)

cost an arm and a leg (informal)

To be prohibitively expensive

give one's right arm

To give or do anything in one's power

in arms

1. Carried as a child
2. (of a child) young enough for this

put the arm on (N Am inf)

To try to coerce

right arm

Someone's main support or assistant

secular arm

The civil authority, as opposed to the spiritual or ecclesiastical

the long arm of the law

The far-reaching power and influence of the law, esp the police force

twist someone's arm see under twist

within (or in) arm's reach

Able to be reached easily, ie from where one is sitting

with open arms

With a hearty welcome

arm² /ärm/

1. A weapon
2. A branch of the fighting forces
3. (in pl) weapons of offence and defence
4. (in pl) hostilities
5. (in pl) fighting, soldiering
6. (in pl) heraldic insignia, coat of arms

1. To provide with weapons, means of protection, armature, or (figurative) equipment
2. To make (a bomb, etc) ready to explode
3. To strengthen (a vehicle, etc) with a metal plate or similar

To take arms

armed adjective

1. Supplied with arms
2. Provided with means of defence
3. (of an animal, etc) having a protective armour
4. (of a plant) thorny, prickly, barbed
5. With beak, claws, etc, of a particular tincture (heraldry)

armed eye noun

The eye aided eg with a magnifying glass (cf naked eye)

armed forces or armed services plural noun

The combined military forces of a country

arms control noun

Agreement among nations not to build up armaments

arms race noun

Competition among nations in building up armaments

armed to the teeth see under tooth

bear arms

1. To serve as a soldier
2. (also (obsolete) give arms) to show or have armorial bearings (heraldry)

call to arms

An appeal or warning to prepare to fight

in arms

1. Armed
2. Ready to fight
3. Quartered (heraldry)

lay down one's arms

To surrender, submit

of all arms

Of every kind of troops

take arms or take up arms

To resort to fighting

under arms

Armed

up in arms

1. In readiness to resist
2. Protesting hotly

Arm.

1. Armenian
2. Armoric

• IV
• IVA
• IVD
• -ive
• I've
• ivermectin
• IVF
• ivied
• ivies
• Ivorian
• ivoried
• ivories
• ivorist
• ivorists
• ivory
• ivory-black
• ivory gate
• ivory-nut
• ivory-nuts
• ivory-palm
• ivory-palms
• ivory-porcelain
• ivory tower
• ivory-towered
• ivory towers