arm

arm¹

—armed, adj. —armlike, adj.

/ahrm/, n.

1. the upper limb of the human body, esp. the part extending from the shoulder to the wrist.

2. the upper limb from the shoulder to the elbow.

3. the forelimb of any vertebrate.

4. some part of an organism like or likened to an arm.

5. any armlike part or attachment, as the tone arm of a phonograph.

6. a covering for the arm, esp. a sleeve of a garment: the arm of a coat.

7. an administrative or operational branch of an organization: A special arm of the government will investigate.

8. Naut. any of the curved or bent pieces of an anchor, terminating in the flukes. See diag. under anchor.

9. an armrest.

10. an inlet or cove: an arm of the sea.

11. a combat branch of the military service, as the infantry, cavalry, or field artillery.

12. power; might; strength; authority: the long arm of the law.

13. Typography. either of the extensions to the right of the vertical line of a K or upward from the vertical stem of a Y.

14. an arm and a leg, a great deal of money: Our night on the town cost us an arm and a leg.

15. arm in arm, with arms linked together or intertwined: They walked along arm in arm.

16. at arm's length, not on familiar or friendly terms; at a distance: He's the kind of person you pity but want to keep at arm's length.

17. in the arms of Morpheus, asleep: After a strenuous day, he was soon in the arms of Morpheus.

18. on the arm, Slang. free of charge; gratis: an investigation of policemen who ate lunch on the arm.

19. put the arm on, Slang.

a. to solicit or borrow money from: She put the arm on me for a generous contribution.

b. to use force or violence on; use strong-arm tactics on: If they don't cooperate, put the arm on them.

20. twist someone's arm, to use force or coercion on someone.

21. with open arms, cordially; with warm hospitality: a country that receives immigrants with open arms.

[bef. 900; ME; OE earm; c. Goth arms, ON armr, OFris erm, D, OS, OHG arm (G Arm) arm; L armus, Serbo-Croatian rame, ràmo shoulder; akin to Skt irmá, Avestan arama-, OPruss irmo arm; not akin to L arma ARM²]

arm²

—armless, adj.

/ahrm/, n.

1. Usually, arms. weapons, esp. firearms.

2. arms, Heraldry. the escutcheon, with its divisions, charges, and tinctures, and the other components forming an achievement that symbolizes and is reserved for a person, family, or corporate body; armorial bearings; coat of arms.

3. bear arms,

a. to carry weapons.

b. to serve as a member of the military or of contending forces: His religious convictions kept him from bearing arms, but he served as an ambulance driver with the Red Cross.

4. take up arms, to prepare for war; go to war: to take up arms against the enemy.

5. under arms, ready for battle; trained and equipped: The number of men under arms is no longer the decisive factor in warfare.

6. up in arms, ready to take action; indignant; outraged: There is no need to get up in arms over such a trifle.

v.i.

7. to enter into a state of hostility or of readiness for war.

v.t.

8. to equip with weapons: to arm the troops.

9. to activate (a fuze) so that it will explode the charge at the time desired.

10. to cover protectively.

11. to provide with whatever will add strength, force, or security; support; fortify: He was armed with statistics and facts.

12. to equip or prepare for any specific purpose or effective use: to arm a security system; to arm oneself with persuasive arguments.

13. to prepare for action; make fit; ready.

[1200-50 for v.; 1300-50 for n.; (v.) ME armen < AF, OF armer < L armare to arm, v. deriv. of arma (pl.) tools, weapons (not akin to ARM¹); (n.) ME armes (pl.) L arma, as above]

Syn. 12. outfit.

Ant. 9. deactivate, disarm.

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I

Upper limb of a biped, particularly a primate.

Primate arms have one long bone, the humerus, in the upper arm above the elbow, and two thinner bones, the radius and ulna, in the forearm. The triceps muscle straightens the forearm at the elbow joint; the brachialis and biceps muscles bend it. Forearm and small muscles in the hand move the hand and fingers. The term may also denote the limb or the locomotive or prehensile organ of an invertebrate (e.g., the ray of a starfish or the tentacle of an octopus).

II

(as used in expressions)

arms control

coat of arms

shield of arms

Strategic Arms Limitation Talks

Strategic Arms Reduction Talks

Armed Islamic Group

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▪ anatomy

  in zoology, either of the forelimbs or upper limbs of ordinarily bipedal vertebrates, particularly humans and other primates. The term is sometimes restricted to the proximal part, from shoulder to elbow (the distal part is then called the forearm). In brachiating (tree-swinging) primates the arm is unusually long.

  The bones of the human arm, like those of other primates, consist of one long bone, the humerus, in the arm proper; two thinner bones, the radius and ulna, in the forearm; and sets of carpal and metacarpal bones in the hand and digits in the fingers. The muscle that extends, or straightens, the arm is the triceps (triceps muscle), which arises on the humerus and attaches to the ulna at the elbow; the brachialis and biceps muscles (biceps muscle) act to bend the arm at the elbow. A number of smaller muscles cover the radius and ulna and act to move the hand and fingers in various ways. The pectoralis muscle, anchored in the chest, is important in the downward motion of the entire arm and in quadrupeds pulls the limb backward in locomotion.

      The term arm may also denote the limb or the locomotive or prehensile organ of an invertebrate, such as the ray of a starfish, tentacle of an octopus, or brachium of a brachiopod.

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