English

Adjective

Arm

1. Abbreviation of Armenian.

Anagrams

• mar, Mar, Mar., MAR
• MRA
• ram, Ram, RAM
• RMA

German

Picture dictionary
Schulter Oberarm Ellbogen Unterarm Handgelenk Hand
Click on labels in the image
Glied

Alternative forms

• Armb (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old High German arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ermos, *h₂ŕ̥mos, an extension of Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- ‎(“to fit together, to link, to join”). Cognate with Dutch arm, English arm, Swedish arm.

The Indo-European root is also the source of Latin armus and arma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aʁm/ (standard)
• IPA^(key): /(ʔ)aːm/ (widespread, esp. northern and central Germany)

Noun

Arm m ‎(genitive Armes or Arms, plural Arme, diminutive Ärmchen n)

1. (anatomy) an arm
2. anything that resembles an arm (for example parts of a device, machine, etc.)
3. (geography) an arm of a creek or a river
4. (textiles) a sleeve
5. (figuratively) a branch, a section of a structure

Declension

Synonyms

• (sleeve): Ärmel m
• (branch): Branche f, Zweig m, Filiale f

Derived terms

See also

• Körper m

English

Picture dictionary
shoulder upper arm elbow forearm wrist hand
Click on labels in the image
limb

Noun

arm ‎(plural arms)

1. The portion of the upper human appendage, from the shoulder to the wrist and sometimes including the hand.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess:

     When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.

   She stood with her right arm extended and her palm forward to indicate “Stop!”‎

2. (anatomy) 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. A long, narrow, more or less rigid part of an object extending from the main part or centre of the object, such as the arm 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.‎

5. (geography) A bay or inlet off a main body of water.

   Shelburne Bay is an arm of Lake Champlain.‎

6. A branch of an organization.

   the cavalry arm of the military service‎

7. (figuratively) Power; might; strength; support.

   the arm of the law

   the secular arm

   • Bible, Isa. lii. 1

     To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?

8. (baseball, slang) A pitcher

   • The team needs to sign another arm in the offseason.

9. (genetics) One of the two parts of a chromosome.
10. A group of patients in a medical trial.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

arm ‎(third-person singular simple present arms, present participle arming, simple past and past participle armed) (obsolete)

1. To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms.
   • Shakespeare

     And make him with our pikes and partisans / A grave: come, arm him.

   • Two N. Kins

     Arm your prize; / I know you will not lose him.

2. To supply with arms or limbs.
   • Beaumont and Fletcher

     His shoulders broad and strong, / Armed long and round.

Etymology 2

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

Adjective

arm ‎(comparative armer or more arm, superlative armest or most arm)

1. (Britain dialectal, chiefly Scotland) Poor; lacking in riches or wealth.
2. (Britain dialectal, chiefly Scotland) To be pitied; pitiful; wretched.

Derived terms

• armth

Etymology 3

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

Noun

arm ‎(plural arms)

1. (usually used in the plural) A weapon.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     The next thing I laid hold of was a brace of pistols, and as I already had a powder horn and bullets, I felt myself well supplied with arms.

2. (in the plural) heraldic bearings or insignia

   The Duke's arms were a sable gryphon rampant on an argent field.

Usage notes

• Capitalized, the word is often used in the names of pubs, taverns and the like.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:weapon

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

arm ‎(third-person singular simple present arms, present participle arming, simple past and past participle armed)

1. To supply with armour or (later especially) weapons.
2. To prepare a tool or a weapon for action; to activate.

   Remember to arm an alarm system.

3. To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency.

   to arm the hit of a sword; to arm a hook in angling

4. (figuratively) To furnish with means of defence; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense.
   • Bible, 1 Peter iv. 1

     Arm yourselves […] with the same mind.

5. To fit (a magnet) with an armature.

Synonyms

• (furnish with weapons): beweapon

Derived terms

• arm to the teeth

Translations

Statistics

Anagrams

• mar, Mar, Mar., MAR
• MRA
• ram, Ram, RAM
• RMA

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch arm.

Noun

arm ‎(plural arms)

1. arm

Cimbrian

Noun

arm m ‎(plural èrme)

1. arm

Adjective

arm

1. poor

Derived terms

• armakhot

References

• “arm” in Umberto Martello Martalar, Alfonso Bellotto, Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Setti Communi vicentini, 1st edition, 1974.

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /arm/, [ɑːˀm]

Etymology 1

From Old Norse armr ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ar-mo- ‎(“arm”).

Noun

arm c (singular definite armen, plural indefinite arme)

1. (anatomy) arm

Inflection

Etymology 2

From Old Norse armr ‎(“arm, poor”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“poor”).

Adjective

arm

1. poor
2. unfortunate

Inflection

Dutch

Picture dictionary
schouder bovenarm elleboog onderarm pols hand
Click on labels in the image
limb

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑrm/
• Rhymes: -ɑrm

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch arm, from Old Dutch arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ar-mo-, a suffixed form of *ar- ‎(“to fit together”). Cognate to Avestan [script needed] ‎(arma) and Old Persian [script needed] ‎(arma).

Noun

arm m ‎(plural armen, diminutive armpje n)

1. (anatomy) arm

   Iemand kneep in mijn arm.‎

   Someone pinched my arm.

Derived terms

• armband
• bovenarm
• onderarm

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch arm, from Old Dutch arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erH- ‎(“to be sparse”).

Adjective

arm ‎(comparative armer, superlative armst)

1. poor (not rich)

   arme landen — poor nations

2. poor (unfortunate)

   arme stakker… — poor soul…

Inflection

Derived terms

• armoede
• kansarm
• voedselarm

Anagrams

• ram

Estonian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *arwaz. Cognate to Finnish arpi. arm is an irregular variant of the root; the expected arb can be seen in dialects.

Noun

arm ‎(genitive armi, partitive armi)

1. scar

Declension

Noun

arm ‎(genitive armu, partitive armu)

1. mercy

Declension

German

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *armaz, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂erH- ‎(“to be sparse”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʔaʁm]

Adjective

arm ‎(comparative ärmer, superlative am ärmsten)

1. poor (having little money)
2. poor (to be pitied)

   arm dran sein = to have bad luck

   lieber arm dran als Arm ab - better to have poor luck than to have no more arm (language game)

Antonyms

• reich

Declension

Derived terms

• Armenkasse
• Armenkrankenhaus

Related terms

• -arm
• ärmlich
• armselig
• Armut

Icelandic

Noun

arm

1. indefinite accusative singular of armur

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish arm n ‎(“armour, battle-equipment, panoply; weapon; army”), from Latin arma.

Pronunciation

• (Munster, Aran) IPA^(key): /ˈɑɾˠəmˠ/
• (Connemara, Mayo, Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈaɾˠəmˠ/

Noun

arm m ‎(genitive singular airm, nominative plural airm)

1. weapon; implement, tool
2. (collective) arms
3. army

Declension

Derived terms

Mutation

References

• “arm” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• “arm” in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, Irish Texts Society, 1927, by Patrick S. Dinneen.
• Franz Nikolaus Finck, 1899, Die araner mundart, Marburg: Elwert’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, vol. II, 10.
• "arm" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

Jersey Dutch

Etymology

Cognate to Dutch arm ‎(“poor”). Compare German arm ‎(“poor”).

Adjective

arm

1. poor
   • 1912, Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsche taal— en letterkunde, volumes 31-32, page 309:

     Hai waz nît tevrêde täus en dârkîs tû râkni arm. […] ‎

     He was not content at home and therefore he became poor. […]

Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish arm n ‎(“armour, battle-equipment, panoply; weapon; army”), from Latin arma.

Noun

arm m ‎(genitive singular arm, plural armyn)

1. arm, weapon, armament

Verb

arm ‎(verbal noun armal, past participle garmal)

1. arm

References

• “arm” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Middle Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /arm/

Etymology 1

From Old Dutch arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz.

Noun

arm m

1. arm

Declension

Descendants

• Dutch: arm

Etymology 2

From Old Dutch arm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz.

Adjective

arm

1. poor, having few possessions
2. unfortunate, pitiable

Descendants

• Dutch: arm

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English earm ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Indo-European *arəm- ‎(“arm”).

Noun

arm (plural arms)

1. arm

Descendants

• English: arm

Etymology 2

From Old English earm ‎(“poor, wretched”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“poor”), from Proto-Indo-European *erm- ‎(“poor, ill”).

Adjective

arm

1. poor
2. miserable, wretched

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Old Norse armr.

Adjective

arm ‎(neuter singular armt, definite singular and plural arme)

1. poor

Noun

arm m ‎(definite singular armen, indefinite plural armer, definite plural armene)

1. (anatomy) an arm

Derived terms

• armbind
• armbånd
• overarm
• underarm

References

• “arm” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse armr.

Adjective

arm ‎(neuter singular armt, definite singular and plural arme)

1. poor

Noun

arm m ‎(definite singular armen, indefinite plural armar, definite plural armane)

1. (anatomy) an arm

Derived terms

• armbind
• overarm
• underarm

References

• “arm” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Alternative forms

• earm

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“arm”), whence also Old High German arm, Old Norse armr

Noun

arm m

1. arm

Old High German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /arm/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *armaz, whence also Old English earm, Old Norse armr.

Adjective

arm

1. poor, miserable

Descendants

• German: arm

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *armaz, whence also Old English arm, Old Norse armr.

Noun

arm m

1. (anatomy) arm

Descendants

• Middle High German: arm
  • German: Arm

References

• Joseph Wright, An Old High German Primer

Old Saxon

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *armaz, whence also Old English earm, Old Norse armr.

Adjective

arm (comparative armoro, superlative armost)

1. miserable, poor

Declension

Descendants

• Low German: arm

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *armaz, whence also Old English earm, Old Norse armr.

Noun

arm m

1. arm

Declension

Descendants

• Low German: Arm

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin armus.

Noun

arm n ‎(plural armuri)

1. (chiefly Oltenia) an animal's haunch, or a thigh on a person

Synonyms

• coapsă, șold

Related terms

• întrema

See also

• armă
• spată

Scots

Etymology 1

From Middle English arm, from Old English earm ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Indo-European *arəm- ‎(“arm”).

Alternative forms

• arme, harme, areme, airme

Noun

arm ‎(plural arms)

1. arm
2. arm of the sea
3. bar, beam

Etymology 2

From Middle English arm ‎(“poor”), from Old English earm ‎(“poor”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz ‎(“poor”), from Proto-Indo-European *erm- ‎(“poor, ill”).

Adjective

arm ‎(comparative mair arm, superlative maist arm)

1. poor; wretched
2. weak; thin; sickly

Verb

arm ‎(third-person singular present arms, present participle armin, past armt, past participle armt)

1. to crawl about miserably.

Etymology 3

From Middle English armen ‎(“to arm”), from Old French armer ‎(“to arm”), from Latin armō ‎(“to arm”). More at arm.

Verb

arm ‎(third-person singular present arms, present participle armin, past armt, past participle armt)

1. to arm, outfit with weapons or armour

Etymology 4

From Old Norse armr ‎(“wing of a body”).

Noun

arm ‎(plural arms)

1. the tail end of something, especially of fishing line

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish arm n ‎(“armour, battle-equipment, panoply; weapon; army”), from Latin arma.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɾam/

Noun

arm m ‎(genitive singular airm, plural airm)

1. army
2. arm, weapon

Synonyms

• (army): armailt

Usage notes

• Arm is usually used to refer to the entire fighting force of a nation etc, while armailt usually refers to the an "army" involved in a particular battle etc:

  Arm Bhreatainn anns a' Chogadh Mhòr - British Army in the First World War (the armed forces as a whole)

  armailt Bhreatannach ann an Afraga - British Army in Africa

Derived terms

• taigh-airm

Related terms

• armaich
• dì-armaich

References

• Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
• “arm” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Swedish

Picture dictionary
skuldra överarm armbåge underarm handled hand
Click on labels in the image
limb

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Old Norse armr ‎(“arm”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ermos, *h₂ŕ̥mos.

Noun

arm c

1. (anatomy) arm; the body part
2. arm; something extending from a body

Declension

Derived terms

• armbåge
• underarm
• ärm
• överarm

See also

• axel
• hand
• handled

Etymology 2

From Old Norse armr ‎(“poor”), from Proto-Germanic *armaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ermos, *h₂ŕ̥mos.