arm

1 noun (C)

1 BODY one of the two long parts of your body between your shoulders and your hands: Mom put her arms around me to comfort me. | Pat appeared carrying a large box under his arm. | a broken arm | with arms folded/crossed (=with your arms bent so that they are resting against your body) | take sb by the arm (=lead someone somewhere by holding their arm): Sid took me by the arm and hurried me out of the room. | take sb in your arms (=gently hold someone with your arms): Gerry took Fiona in his arms and kissed her.

2 WEAPONS arms (plural) weapons used for fighting wars: The government is cutting arms expenditure. | take up arms (against sb) (=get weapons and prepare to fight): Boys as young as 13 are taking up arms to defend the city. | lay down your arms (=put your weapons down and stop fighting) | under arms BrE (=with weapons and ready to fight): All available forces are under arms.

-see also: small arms

3 FURNITURE the arm of a chair, sofa etc is the part you rest your arms on

4 CLOTHING the part of a piece of clothing that covers your arm; sleeve

5 arm in arm if you walk arm in arm with someone, you are walking next to them with your arm in theirs

6 be up in arms informal to be very angry and ready to argue or fight: Residents are up in arms about plans for a new road along the beach.

7 welcome sb/sth with open arms to show that you are happy to see someone or eager to accept an idea, plan etc: We welcomed Henry's offer with open arms.

8 give your right arm to be willing to do anything to get or do something: I'd give my right arm to be 21 again.

9 at arm's length if you hold something at arm's length, you hold it away from your body

10 keep sb at arm's length to avoid developing a relationship with someone: Petra keeps all men at arm's length to avoid getting hurt.

11 as long as your arm informal a list or written document that is as long as your arm is very long

12 PART OF GROUP a part of a large group that is responsible for a particular type of activity: the political arm of a terrorist organization

13 OBJECT/MACHINE the arm of an object or piece of machinery is the long thin part that looks or moves like an arm: the arm of a record player

14 DESIGN arms (plural) a set of pictures or patterns, usually painted on a shield, that is used as the special sign of a family, town, university etc; coat of arms

15 on your arm old-fashioned if a man has a woman on his arm, she is walking beside him holding his arm

-see also: arms akimbo akimbo, babe in arms babe (1), brothers in arms brother 1 (5), fold sb/sth in your arms fold 1 (7), twist sb's arms twist 1 (9) 2 verb (T)

1 to provide weapons for yourself, an army, a country etc in order to prepare for a fight or a war: arm sb with sth: We armed ourselves with whatever we could lay our hands on.

-see also: armed (1), unarmed

2 to provide all the information, power etc that are needed to deal with a difficult situation or argument: I've armed myself with all the facts I need to prove my point.