arms Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun weapons considered collectively
    weapons system; weaponry; implements of war; munition.
  2. noun the official symbols of a family, state, etc.
    coat of arms; blazon; blazonry.
  3. noun a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
    arm.
  4. noun any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm
    limb; arm; branch.
    • the arm of the record player
    • an arm of the sea
    • a branch of the sewer
  5. noun any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
    weapon; arm; weapon system.
    • he was licensed to carry a weapon
  6. noun the part of an armchair or sofa that supports the elbow and forearm of a seated person
    arm.
  7. noun a division of some larger or more complex organization
    subdivision; arm; branch.
    • a branch of Congress
    • botany is a branch of biology
    • the Germanic branch of Indo-European languages
  8. noun the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
    arm; sleeve.
  9. verb prepare oneself for a military confrontation
    build up; gird; fortify; arm.
    • The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
    • troops are building up on the Iraqi border
  10. verb supply with arms
    arm.
    • The U.S. armed the freedom fighters in Afghanistan

WordNet

Arms noun plural
Etymology
OE. armes, F. arme, pl. armes, fr. L. arma, pl., arms, orig. fittings, akin to armus shoulder, and E. arm. See Arm, n.
Definitions
  1. Instruments or weapons of offense or defense.
    He lays down his arms, but not his wiles. Milton.
    Three horses and three goodly suits of arms. Tennyson.
  2. The deeds or exploits of war; military service or science. "Arms and the man I sing." Dryden.
  3. (Law) Anything which a man takes in his hand in anger, to strike or assault another with; an aggressive weapon. Cowell. Blackstone.
  4. (Her.) The ensigns armorial of a family, consisting of figures and colors borne in shields, banners, etc., as marks of dignity and distinction, and descending from father to son.
  5. (Falconry) The legs of a hawk from the thigh to the foot. Halliwell.

Webster 1913