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Arm

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arm¹

  • /ɑːm/ UK
  • /ɑɹm/ US
  • /ɐːm/ Australia

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-

Proto-Indo-European *h₂érmos

Proto-Germanic *armaz

Proto-West Germanic *arm

Old English earm

Middle English arm

English arm

From Middle English arm, from Old English earm (Anglian arm), from Proto-West Germanic *arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz (“arm”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂(e)rmos (“a fitting, joint; arm, forequarter”), a suffixed form of *h₂er- (“to join, fit together”).

Cognates

Akin to Dutch arm, German Arm, Yiddish אָרעם (orem), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish arm. Indo-European cognates include Latin armus (“the uppermost part of the arm, shoulder”), Bulgarian рамо (ramo), Polish ramię, Serbo-Croatian rȁme, Armenian արմունկ (armunk, “elbow”), Ancient Greek ἁρμός (harmós, “joint, shoulder”) and ἅρμα (hárma, “wagon, chariot”), Avestan 𐬀𐬭𐬨𐬀 (arma), Old Persian [script needed] (arma).

noun arms

  1. The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand. She stood with her right arm extended and her palm forward to indicate “Stop!”
  2. The extended portion of the upper limb, from the shoulder to the elbow. The arm and forearm are parts of the upper limb in the human body.
  3. A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal. the arms of an octopus
  4. The part of a piece of clothing that covers the arm. […] one arm of this jacket streamed behind him like the broidered arm of a huzzar’s surcoat.
  5. A long, narrow, more or less rigid part of an object extending from the main part or centre of the object, such as the armrest of an armchair, a crane, a pair of spectacles or a pair of compasses. The robot arm reached out and placed the part on the assembly line.
  6. A bay or inlet off a main body of water. Shelburne Bay is an arm of Lake Champlain.
  7. A branch of an organization. the cavalry arm of the military service
  8. figuratively Power; might; strength; support. the arm of the law
  9. slang A pitcher The team needs to sign another arm in the offseason.
  10. One of the two parts of a chromosome.
  11. A group of patients in a medical trial.
  12. South Africa, slang A quantity of dagga leaves rolled up in paper into a thick cylinder. They scored an arm of dagga and some speed and then raced away.

Similar: arm

verb arms · arming · armed

  1. obsolete To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms. And make him with our pikes and partisans / A grave: come, arm him.

arm²

  • /ɑːm/ UK
  • /ɑɹm/ US
  • /ɐːm/ Australia

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

From Middle English arm (“poor, wretched”), from Old English earm (“poor, miserable, pitiful, wretched”), from Proto-West Germanic *arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz (“poor”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁erm- (“poor, ill”).

Cognates

Akin to Dutch arm (“poor”), German arm (“poor”), Yiddish אָרעם (orem, “poor”), Swedish arm (“poor”).

adjective armer · more arm · armest · most arm

  1. Scotland, UK, dialectal Poor; lacking in riches or wealth.
  2. Scotland, UK, dialectal To be pitied; pitiful; wretched.

arm³

  • /ɑːm/ UK
  • /ɑɹm/ US
  • /ɐːm/ Australia

Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)m

Where it comes from

Back-formation from arms (plural), from Middle English armes, from Old French armes, from Latin arma (“weapons”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-mo-, a suffixed form of *h₂er- (“to fit together”), hence ultimately cognate with etymology 1.

noun arms

  1. usually A weapon. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
  2. in plural Heraldic bearings or insignia. The Duke's arms were a sable gryphon rampant on an argent field.
  3. in plural, obsolete War; hostilities; deeds or exploits of war.

Similar: arm

verb arms · arming · armed

  1. transitive To supply with armour or (later especially) weapons. The king armed his knights with swords and shields.
  2. figuratively, transitive To supply with the equipment, knowledge, authority, or other tools needed for a particular task; to furnish with capability; to equip. thou getteſt no more of me. For I am ſure thy Office doth not arme thee with ſuch authoritie.
  3. transitive To prepare (a tool, weapon, or system) for action; to activate. Remember to arm the alarm system before leaving for work.
  4. intransitive To become prepared for action; to activate. Torpedoes were loosed, but the range was too short for them to actually arm, and they bounced harmlessly off the ship as it cut loose with its secondary and antiaircraft guns, smashing anything that it could see.
  5. transitive To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency. to arm the hilt of a sword; to arm a hook in angling
  6. intransitive To take up weapons; to arm oneself. The sergeant sent out an order to arm the team for the next mission.
  7. transitive To fit (a magnet) with an armature.

Similar: beweapon

Arm⁴

adjective

  1. abbreviation Abbreviation of Armenian.Armenian

ARM⁵

noun ARMs

  1. abbreviation, countable, initialism, uncountable Initialism of accelerated reply mail, a service of the United States Postal Service.accelerated reply mail
  2. abbreviation, countable, initialism, uncountable Initialism of adjustable rate mortgage.adjustable rate mortgage

proper noun

  1. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Acorn RISC Machine or Advanced RISC Machine.Acorn RISC Machine or Advanced RISC Machine
  2. abbreviation, initialism Initialism of Australian Republic Movement.Australian Republic Movement

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