Arm

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ɑːm/

Definitions

1. A limb extending from the shoulder to the hand, used for reaching, lifting, and manipulating objects
2. A division or branch of an organization, military force, or government that serves a specific function
3. A weapon or means of combat used in warfare or conflict

Etymology: The body part "arm" is one of English's oldest words, present in Old English as "earm" and shared with Dutch "arm," German "Arm," and the Scandinavian languages. Its deeper ancestry lies in a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to join" or "to fit together," which points to the upper limb as the joint that connects the body to the hand. That sense of fitting together turns up in surprising company: Latin "armus" meant the upper part of the foreleg or shoulder, and Ancient Greek "harmos" meant "joint," a word that gave English "harmony" through the idea of parts fitting neatly together. The verb "to arm," meaning to equip with weapons, is a separate development. It comes from the Old French "armer," which in turn descends from Latin "armare," "to equip or furnish," a derivative of "arma," meaning weapons or equipment. The overlap in spelling is a coincidence of two unrelated lines of descent: the body part and the weapon verb share a sound but grew from different roots.

Synonyms: weapon, equip, supply, prepare, endow

Antonyms: disarm, defenseless, unarmed