Arm , v. i. To provide one's
self with arms, weapons, or means of attack or
resistance; to take arms. " 'Tis time to
arm." Shak.
Arm , v. t. [imp. & p. p. Armed (&?;); p. pr. &
vb. n. Arming.]
[OE. armen, F. armer, fr. L. armare,
fr. arma, pl., arms. See
arms.] 1. To take by the arm; to take up in one's arms. [Obs.]
And make him
with our pikes and partisans
A grave: come, arm him.
Shak.
Arm your prize;
I know you will
not lose him.
Two N. Kins.
2. To furnish with arms or
limbs. [R.]
His shoulders broad and strong,
Armed long and round.
Beau. & Fl.
3.
To furnish or equip with
weapons of offense or defense; as, to arm
soldiers; to arm the country.
Abram . . . armed his trained servants.
Gen.
xiv. 14.
4. To cover or furnish with a plate, or with whatever will add strength, force, security, or efficiency; as, to arm
the hit of a sword; to
arm a hook in angling.
5. Fig.: To furnish with means of defense; to prepare for resistance; to fortify, in a moral sense.
Arm yourselves . . . with the same mind.
1 Pet. iv.
1.
To arm a magnet, to fit it with an armature.
Arm , n. [See Arms.]
(Mil.)
(a) A branch of the
military service; as, the cavalry arm was made efficient. (b) A weapon of offense or defense; an instrument of warfare; -- commonly in the pl.
Arm (&?;), n. [AS. arm, earm; akin to OHG. aram, G., D., Dan., & Sw.
arm, Icel. armr, Goth. arms, L. armus arm, shoulder, and prob. to Gr. &?; joining, joint, shoulder, fr. the root &?; to join, to fit together; cf. Slav.
rame. &?;. See Art,
Article.]
1. The limb of the human body which extends from the shoulder to the hand; also, the corresponding limb of a monkey.
2. Anything resembling an arm; as, (a) The fore limb of
an animal, as of a bear. (b)
A limb, or locomotive or prehensile organ, of an invertebrate animal. (c)
A branch of a tree.
(d) A slender part of an instrument or machine, projecting from a trunk, axis,
or fulcrum; as, the arm of a steelyard. (e) (Naut) The end of a yard; also, the part of an anchor which ends in the fluke. (f) An inlet of water from the sea. (g) A support for the elbow, at
the side of
a chair, the
end of a sofa, etc.
3. Fig.: Power; might; strength; support; as, the secular arm; the arm of the
law.
To
whom is the
arm of the Lord revealed?
Isa. lii.
1.
Arm's
end, the end of the arm; a good distance off.
Dryden. -- Arm's length, the length of the
arm. -- Arm's reach, reach of the
arm; the distance the arm can reach. -- To go (or walk) arm in arm, to go with the arm or hand of one
linked in the arm of another. "When arm in armwe went along." Tennyson. -- To
keep at arm's length, to keep at a distance (literally or figuratively); not to allow to come into close contact or familiar intercourse. -- To work at arm's length, to work disadvantageously.