noun

arm

ahm

noun

The part of the human body running from the shoulder down to the hand.

"She waved her arm to flag down the taxi."

"He broke his arm falling off his bike."

A limb of an object or organization that sticks out from the main body, such as a chair arm, a crane arm, or a branch of a company.

"The lamp has an adjustable arm you can bend into any position."

"The bank's investment arm posted strong profits this quarter."

A narrow stretch of water or land reaching out from a larger body.

"The boat drifted into a quiet arm of the lake."

verb

To equip someone or something with weapons, or more loosely, with the tools needed for a task.

"The rebels were armed with rifles smuggled across the border."

"She armed herself with facts before the debate."

How to Use Arm

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishUsually the body part between shoulder and hand, but also anything that sticks out and extends from a main structure — a chair arm, a company arm, an arm of the sea.

Common mistake

Don't confuse the verb "to arm" (give weapons) with the noun "arm" (limb) — context almost always makes it clear, but they're unrelated in meaning even though spelled the same.

Common pairings

arm in arm up in arms armed to the teeth the arm of the law

Word Forms

armer comparative, more arm comparative, armed past tense, armed past tense, arms plural, arms plural, arms singular, arms singular, armest superlative, most arm superlative

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She waved her _____ to flag down the taxi.

Etymology

From Old English earm, going back through Proto-Germanic to a very old Indo-European root meaning "to join or fit together" — the same root that gives Latin armus ("shoulder") and, further along, the word "army."

Rhymes for arm

warm farm harm parm charm alarm swarm disarm firearm sidearm forearm lukewarm

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