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arm

arm

1.0
The part of the body from the shoulder to the hand
  • noun
  • /ɑrm/
translation icon : brazo
  • Rachael's father lifted her up and ran with her in his arms to their car.
  • arms and legs
  • arms outstretched
  • shoulder and arm

He went chest down, arms out like Superman.

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Examples

  • Can you hold your arms out wide to give me a hug?

  • Cross your left arm over your right arm.

  • What happened to that boy whose arm I fixed?

  • I had a broken arm once.

  • I wrapped my arms around you.

  • Her clavicle is up like that, and her arm is stretched out.

  • Here she stood on a bench, her arms tightly drawn above her head.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Left arm, right arm?

  • The doctor examined my broken arm and advised rest for a few weeks.

  • He raised his left arm to point at the beautiful painting.

Idioms

11 2.8

Walking close together while holding each other's arms

an arm and a leg
  • Informal
10 5.8

A very high cost that needs a lot of money

The power of police to find and catch criminals far away

1 4.4

Get someone to agree or do something by pressuring them

8.4

To speak to someone for a very long time until they get tired of listening

Compounds

small arm
  • Specialized
20 4.9

A gun like a handgun or rifle that a person can carry

arm-twisting
  • Informal
5 6.3

Strong pressure from someone to make you do something

2 2.7

A bone that forms part of the arm, for example the humerus, radius or ulna

1 6.0

Power to reach and influence people or events far away

crank arm
  • Specialized
1 3.8

A metal arm that connects a bicycle pedal to the chain

1 2.3

A movement that makes the arm muscles stronger, like lifting weights

1 2.8

A throw that uses the arm, often in sport

1 4.4

A small gun you hold and fire with one hand

contact arm
  • Specialized
8.2

A metal piece that turns to touch different contact points and connect circuits

3.0

A band worn around the upper arm to show a role or for decoration

3.1

A padded sleeve that protects the arm during sports like football or hockey

3.0

A protective pad worn on the arm to stop injuries in sports like football or hockey

1.8

A gentle touch on the arm to show comfort or support

light arm
  • Specialized
5.8

A gun like a rifle or pistol carried and used by one person

A country or organization that strongly supports democracy and freedom worldwide

rocker arm
  • Specialized
6.9

A lever that moves on a center point to open or close an engine valve

round-arm
  • Specialized
7.3

A way of using the arm that swings out at shoulder height to throw or hit in sports like cricket

pickup arm
  • Specialized
8.6

A movable arm on a record player that holds the needle and follows the grooves

tone arm
  • Specialized
7.1

A light balanced arm on a record player that holds the needle and moves across a record

straight-arm
  • Specialized
7.0

In American football, pushing a defender away by holding the arm straight

wiper arm
  • Specialized
6.8

A metal arm that moves to touch different electrical contacts in a control like a volume knob

A small flat board attached to a chair to write on

How Mobile

to wing
61 3.9
leg
1.0
limb
210 1.0
arm
1.0
flipper
10 3.1
stump
47 3.0

Surface Forms

arm singular
arms plural

Etymology

Arm for the body part comes from an old German word for the limb that 'reaches' and 'holds', similar to the modern German Arm. So an arm is easy to remember as the part that reaches out to lift, carry, or touch things.