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Glite Dictionary
side arm

side arm

1 4.4
A small gun you hold and fire with one hand
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪd ɑrm/
translation icon : arma de mano
  • I suggest that all officers carry side arms.

Examples

  • Police officers are required to carry a side arm for their protection while on duty.

  • Sinclair, lower your side arm.

    Black Water (2018)

  • Most of the side arms will give you suitable personal protection.

    Blog text (11)

  • Commander, may I borrow that formidable-looking side arm of yours?

    Forbidden Planet (1956)

  • I'm sure I don't have to tell you, this is a standard issue side arm of the United States Armed Forces and, well, is my preferred weapon of choice, too, sir.

    Elvis & Nixon (2016)

  • In many states, citizens are allowed to carry a side arm for personal defense.

  • The security guard was trained to use his side arm safely and effectively.

Synonyms

pistol
vsside arm
268 2.1

A small gun you hold and fire with one hand

means the same one-handed firearm rather than a broader class
handgun
vsside arm
187 4.6

A small gun that you hold and fire with one hand

denotes the same one-hand weapon without extra carrying or purpose notes
sidearm
vsside arm
20 4.6

A small gun carried at a person's side for protection

is the basic one-hand weapon regardless of where or why carried
small arm
vsside arm
  • Specialized
20 4.9

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

focuses on one-hand firing rather than being simply portable
shooting iron
vsside arm
  • Archaic
1 8.6

A small gun like a pistol that you carry on your belt

is the neutral one-hand firearm term rather than colloquial slang
light arm
vsside arm
  • Specialized
5.8

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

highlights hand-held firing as its defining feature rather than carriage

Surface Forms

side arm singular
side arms plural

Morphology

side + arm

The compound combines 'side' (at the side/lateral) with 'arm' (a weapon), yielding a subtype meaning a weapon carried/used at one's side; this composition is directly interpretable from the constituents. The concept of a small handheld weapon kept at the hip or side is common cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words would very likely infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Side arm may come from the image of a small weapon carried at your side and kept by your arm so you can reach it quickly. That's why side arm now means a smaller gun you can hold and fire with one hand.