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armed

armed

14 7.9
Having sharp points that protect it
  • adjective
  • /ɑrmd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : espinoso
  • The defensively armed sea urchins cover themselves with sharp spines for protection.
  • armed conflict
  • armed forces

Examples

  • The rosebush is armed with sharp thorns that deter hungry animals.

  • Armed with this philosophy, she would move on to have a successful teaching career.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I'm visiting my parents soon, armed with all sorts of questions.

    Blog text (3)
  • We are teenagers armed with yo-yos.

  • Its tentacles were armed with 500,000 microscopic harpoons called nematocysts, each loaded with lethal venom.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Some cacti are armed with long, sharp spines to protect themselves from herbivores.

Synonyms

prickly
vsarmed
14 3.3

Covered with sharp points like thorns that can hurt to touch

is more general, meaning any defensive structures not only sharp points
thorny
vsarmed
6 4.2

Covered with sharp points like those on rose bushes

is broader, applying to various defensive structures beyond sharp projections
thorn-tipped
vsarmed
  • Specialized
6.8

A plant or plant part with a sharp thorn at the tip

is broader, covering many defensive forms not limited to tip endings

Antonyms

77 3.5

Without protection and easy to hurt

unarmed
  • Specialized
2 4.1

A living thing without stings or thorns

Idioms

9 5.6

Having many weapons or supplies for protection

Compounds

190 2.3

The military groups of a country, like the army, navy and air force

78 3.2

Stealing from a person or place while using a weapon, usually a gun

12 3.7

Having only one arm

The military groups of a country, like the army, navy, and air force

lightly-armed
  • Specialized
3 5.3

With only small weapons and no heavy guns

A machine in a casino that gives money when you pull a lever

1 4.9

A fight between soldiers or military groups using weapons

1 3.0

A day each year in the United States to honour people who serve in the military

A part of a country's military like the army or navy

1 4.0

Having arms that are long compared with the rest of the body

A small northern Atlantic fish with bony plates and spines

The reading and blocking of letters and messages sent to or from soldiers by military leaders

A group of Islamic extremists in Algeria that uses violent attacks to try to make an Islamic state

An armed group in Algeria that used violence in the 1990s to try to create an Islamic state

A Rwandan rebel group that fought to overthrow the Tutsi government and restore Hutu rule

light-armed
  • Specialized
6.7

Soldiers who carry small, simple weapons and wear little armor

A person who has large strong arms that are good for lifting or fighting

An armed left-wing group in Colombia that fought the government and used kidnapping and the drug trade to fund itself

A political party in Colombia formed by former fighters after the 2016 peace talks

A warm, friendly welcome that makes guests feel wanted

A warm welcome you give by opening your arms to hold someone

A chair with a flat arm that serves as a small desk

How Spiny

thorny
6 4.2
spiny
3 3.9
armed
  • Specialized
14 7.9
prickly
14 3.3
bristly
1 4.6

Surface Forms

armed positive

Morphology

armed = arm (semi-transparent) = arm + ed

The adjective is a figurative/extended use of 'arm' (to equip) meaning 'provided with defensive structures (thorns)'; relationship is clear but metaphorical.

Etymology

Armed is also used for plants and animals with thorns or bristles and comes from the same idea as Latin arma 'weapons'. That's why a cactus 'armed' with spines means it has natural 'weapons' for protection.