arm : Idioms & Phrases

Index


A stand of arms

  • a complete set for one soldier, as a musket, bayonet, cartridge box and belt; frequently, the musket and bayonet alone.
Webster 1913

An arm of flesh

  • human strength or aid.
Webster 1913

arm band

  • noun a band worn around the arm for decoration
    armlet.
WordNet

arm bone

  • noun a bone in the arm
WordNet

arm exercise

  • noun exercise designed to strengthen the arm muscles
WordNet

arm guard

  • noun a pad worn by football players and hockey goalkeepers
    arm guard.
WordNet

arm pad

  • noun a pad worn by football players and hockey goalkeepers
    arm guard.
WordNet

Arm's end

  • the end of the arm; a good distance off. Dryden.
Webster 1913

Arm's length

  • noun a distance sufficient to exclude intimacy
WordNet
  • the length of the arm.
Webster 1913

Arm's reach

  • reach of the arm; the distance the arm can reach.
Webster 1913

arm-gret

Arm"-gret` adjective
Definitions
  1. Great as a man's arm. Obs.
    A wreath of gold, arm-gret. Chaucer.
Webster 1913

arm-twisting

  • noun persuasion by the use of direct personal pressure
    • some gentle arm-twisting produced the desired result
    • no amount of arm-twisting will get me to agree
WordNet

armed bullhead

  • noun northern Atlantic sea poacher
    Agonus cataphractus; pogge.
WordNet

armed combat

  • noun an engagement fought between two military forces
    combat.
WordNet

armed forces

  • noun the military forces of a nation
    armed forces; military; military machine; war machine.
    • their military is the largest in the region
    • the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker
WordNet

armed forces censorship

  • noun military censorship of personal communications to or from persons in the armed forces
WordNet

armed forces day

  • noun the 3rd Saturday in May
WordNet

armed islamic group

  • noun a terrorist organization of Islamic extremists whose violent activities began in 1992; aims to overthrow the secular Algerian regime and replace it with an Islamic state
    GIA.
    • the GIA has embarked on a terrorist campaign of civilian massacres
WordNet

armed robbery

  • noun robbery at gunpoint
    stickup; heist; holdup.
WordNet

armed service

  • noun a force that is a branch of the armed forces
    armed service; military service; service.
WordNet

armed services

  • noun the military forces of a nation
    armed forces; military; military machine; war machine.
    • their military is the largest in the region
    • the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker
  • noun a force that is a branch of the armed forces
    armed service; military service; service.
WordNet

arms control

  • noun a limitation on the size and armament of the armed forces of a country
WordNet

arms deal

  • noun a deal to provide military arms
WordNet

arms industry

  • noun an industry that manufacturers weapons of war
    munitions industry.
WordNet

arms manufacturer

  • noun someone who manufactures arms and munitions
WordNet

arms race

  • noun a competition between nations to have the most powerful armaments
WordNet

arms-runner

  • noun a smuggler of guns
    gunrunner.
WordNet

Assumptive arms

  • (Her.), originally, arms which a person had a right to assume, in consequence of an exploit; now, those assumed without sanction of the Heralds' College.
Webster 1913

At arm's length

  • adverb at some distance
    • keep someone at arm's length
WordNet
  • . See under Arm.
Webster 1913

bachelor-at-arms

  • noun a knight of the lowest order; could display only a pennon
    bachelor; knight bachelor.
WordNet

Bred to arms

  • educated to the profession of a soldier.
Webster 1913

Canting arms, Canting heraldry

  • (Her.), bearings in the nature of a rebus alluding to the name of the bearer. Thus, the Castletons bear three castles, and Pope Adrian IV. (Nicholas Breakspeare) bore a broken spear.
Webster 1913

Carry arms

  • (Mil. Drill), a command of the Manual of Arms directing the soldier to hold his piece in the right hand, the barrel resting against the hollow of the shoulder in a nearly perpendicular position. In this position the soldier is said to stand, and the musket to be held, at carry.
Webster 1913

Cessation of arms

  • (Mil.), an armistice, or truce, agreed to by the commanders of armies, to give time for a capitulation, or for other purposes.
Webster 1913

Coat of arms

  • noun the official symbols of a family, state, etc.
    arms; blazon; blazonry.
WordNet
  • (Her.), a translation of the French cotte d'armes, a garment of light material worn over the armor in the 15th and 16th centuries. This was often charged with the heraldic bearings of the wearer. Hence, an heraldic achievement; the bearings of any person, taken together.
Webster 1913

contact arm

  • noun contact consisting of a conducting arm that rotates over a series of fixed contacts and comes to rest on an outlet
    contact arm; wiper.
WordNet

cross-armed

Cross"-armed` adjective
Definitions
  1. With arms crossed.
Webster 1913

Force and arms

  • trans. of L. vi et armis (Law), an expression in old indictments, signifying violence.
Webster 1913

former armed forces

  • noun a terrorist organization that seeks to overthrow the government dominated by Tutsi and to institute Hutu control again
    FAR; Army for the Liberation of Rwanda; Interahamwe; ALIR.
    • in 1999 ALIR guerrillas kidnapped and killed eight foreign tourists
WordNet

freedom to bear arms

  • noun a right guaranteed by the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution
WordNet

Garter king-at-arms

  • the chief of the official heralds of England, king-at-arms to the Order of the Garter; often abbreviated to Garter.
Webster 1913

gentleman-at-arms

  • noun one of 40 gentlemen who attend the British sovereign on state occasions
    gentleman-at-arms.
WordNet

Gentlemen-at-arms

  • noun one of 40 gentlemen who attend the British sovereign on state occasions
    gentleman-at-arms.
WordNet
  • a band of forty gentlemen who attend the sovereign on state occasions; formerly called gentlemen pensioners. Eng.
Webster 1913

heavy-armed

  • adjective satellite having massive arms
    • he was big-chested, big-shouldered and heavy-armed
WordNet
Heav"y-armed` adjective
Definitions
  1. (Mil.) Wearing heavy or complete armor; carrying heavy arms.
Webster 1913

In arms

  • armed for war; in a state of hostility.
Webster 1913

King-at-arms, ∨ King-of-arms

  • the chief heraldic officer of a country. In England the king-at-arms was formerly of great authority. His business is to direct the heralds, preside at their chapters, and have the jurisdiction of armory. There are three principal kings-at-arms, viz., Garter, Clarencieux, and Norroy. The latter (literally north roy or north king) officiates north of the Trent.
Webster 1913

Lead arming

  • tallow put in the hollow of a sounding lead. See To arm the lead (below).
Webster 1913

light arm

  • noun a rifle or pistol
WordNet

light-armed

  • adjective satellite armed with light weapons
    light-armed.
  • adjective satellite armed with light equipment and weapons
    • a light-armed brigade
WordNet
Light"-armed` adjective
Definitions
  1. Armed with light weapons or accouterments.
Webster 1913

lightly-armed

  • adjective satellite armed with light weapons
    light-armed.
WordNet

long-armed

  • adjective satellite having relatively long arms
WordNet
Long"-armed` adjective
Definitions
  1. Having long arms; as, the long-armed ape or gibbon.
Webster 1913

Man at arms

  • a designation of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries for a soldier fully armed.
Webster 1913

man-at-arms

  • noun a heavily armed and mounted soldier in medieval times
WordNet

manual of arms

  • noun (military) a prescribed drill in handling a rifle
    manual.
WordNet

master-at-arms

  • noun the senior petty officer; responsible for discipline aboard ship
WordNet

one-armed

  • adjective satellite having one arm
    • a one-armed veteran
WordNet

one-armed bandit

  • noun a slot machine that is used for gambling
    slot.
    • they spend hours and hours just playing the slots
WordNet

Order arms

  • noun a position in the manual of arms; the rifle is held vertically on the right side with the butt on the ground; often used as a command
WordNet
  • (Mil.), the command at which a rifle is brought to a position with its but resting on the ground; also, the position taken at such a command.
Webster 1913

over-arm

O"ver-arm` adjective
Definitions
  1. (Cricket, etc.) Done (as bowling or pitching) with the arm raised above the shoulder. See Overhard. "An over-arm with a round-arm bowler." R. A. Proctor.
Webster 1913

Pesent arms

  • (Mil.), the command in response to which the gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the center of the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of the stock, in token of respect, as in saluting a superior officer; also, the position taken at such a command.
Webster 1913

pickup arm

  • noun mechanical device consisting of a light balanced arm that carries the cartridge
    pickup arm; pickup.
WordNet

Place of arms

  • (Mil.), a place calculated for the rendezvous of men in arms, etc., as a fort which affords a safe retreat for hospitals, magazines, etc. Wilhelm.
Webster 1913

Port arms

  • a position in the manual of arms, executed as above.
Webster 1913

proof-arm

Proof`-arm" transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To arm with proof armor; to arm securely; as, to proof-arm herself. R. Beau. & Fl.
Webster 1913

re-arm

  • verb arm anew
    rearm.
    • After the war, the defeated country was not allowed to rearm
WordNet

Recover arms

  • (Mil. Drill), a command whereby the piece is brought from the position of "aim" to that of "ready."
Webster 1913

Reverse arms

  • (Mil.), a position of a soldier in which the piece passes between the right elbow and the body at an angle of 45°, and is held as in the illustration.
Webster 1913

revolutionary armed forces of colombia

  • noun a powerful and wealthy terrorist organization formed in 1957 as the guerilla arm of the Colombian communist party; opposed to the United States; has strong ties to drug dealers
    Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia; FARC.
WordNet

Right shoulder arms

  • (Mil.), a position in the Manual of Arms which the piece is placed on the right shoulder, with the lock plate up, and the muzzle elevated and inclined to the left, and held as in the illustration.
Webster 1913

Rocker arm

  • noun a lever pivoted at the center; used especially to push a valve down in an internal-combustion engine
    valve rocker.
WordNet
  • (Mach.), an arm borne by a rock shaft.
Webster 1913

round-arm

  • adjective satellite with the arm swung round at shoulder height
    • round-arm bowling
  • adverb with an outward or horizontal swing of the arm
    • he hit the ball round-arm
WordNet
Round"-arm` adjective
Definitions
  1. (Cricket) Applied to the method delivering the ball in bowling, by swinging the arm horizontally. R. A. Proctor.
Webster 1913

Secure arms

  • (Mil.), a command and a position in the manual of arms, used in wet weather, the object being to guard the firearm from becoming wet. The piece is turned with the barrel to the front and grasped by the right hand at the lewer band, the muzzle is dropped to the front, and the piece held with the guard under the right arm, the hand supported against the hip, and the thumb on the rammer.
Webster 1913

sergeant at arms

  • noun an officer (as of a legislature or court) who maintains order and executes commands
    sergeant at arms.
WordNet

Sergeant-at-arms

  • an officer of a legislative body, or of a deliberative or judicial assembly, who executes commands in preserving order and arresting offenders. See Sergeant, 1.
Webster 1913

Serjeant-at-arms

  • noun an officer (as of a legislature or court) who maintains order and executes commands
    sergeant at arms.
WordNet
  • . See Sergeant-at-arms, under Sergeant.
Webster 1913

side arm

  • noun a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
    shooting iron; side arm; pistol; handgun.
WordNet

Side arms

  • noun a firearm that is held and fired with one hand
    shooting iron; side arm; pistol; handgun.
WordNet
  • weapons worn at the side, as sword, bayonet, pistols, etc.
Webster 1913

Small arms

  • portable firearms known as muskets, rifles, carbines, pistols, etc.
  • muskets, rifles, pistols, etc., in distinction from cannon.
Webster 1913

small-arm

  • noun a portable gun
    piece; firearm.
    • he wore his firearm in a shoulder holster
WordNet

Stack of arms

  • (Mil.), a number of muskets or rifles set up together, with the bayonets crossing one another, forming a sort of conical self-supporting pile.
Webster 1913

Stand of arms

  • . (Mil.) See under Arms.
Webster 1913

straight-arm

  • noun (American football) the act of warding off a tackler by holding the arm fully extended with the hand against the opponent
WordNet

strategic arms limitation talks

  • noun negotiations between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics opened in 1969 in Helsinki designed to limit both countries' stock of nuclear weapons
    SALT.
WordNet

strong-arm

  • verb handle roughly
    • He was strong-armed by the policemen
  • verb be bossy towards
    bully; ballyrag; bullyrag; hector; push around; boss around; browbeat.
    • Her big brother always bullied her when she was young
  • verb use physical force against
    • They strong-armed me when I left the restaurant
  • adjective satellite impelled by physical force especially against resistance
    forcible; physical.
    • forcible entry
    • a real cop would get physical
    • strong-arm tactics
WordNet

Support arms

  • (Mil.), a command in the manual of arms in responce to which the piece is held vertically at the shoulder, with the hammer resting on the left forearm, which is passed horizontally across the body in front; also, the position assumed in response to this command.
Webster 1913

Suspension of arms

  • (Mil.), a short truce or cessation of operations agreed on by the commanders of contending armies, as for burying the dead, making proposal for surrender or for peace, etc.
Webster 1913

Sword arm

  • the right arm.
Webster 1913

tablet-armed chair

  • noun a chair with an arm that has been widened for writing
WordNet

take arms

  • verb commence hostilities
    take arms; go to war.
WordNet

take up arms

  • verb commence hostilities
    take arms; go to war.
WordNet

To arm a magnet

  • to fit it with an armature.
Webster 1913

To arm the lead

  • to fill the hollow in the bottom of a sounding lead with tallow in order to discover the nature of the bottom by the substances adhering. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Webster 1913

To arms

  • ! a summons to war or battle.
Webster 1913

To carry arms

  • (a) To bear weapons. (b) To serve as a soldier.
Webster 1913

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.
Webster 1913

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.
Webster 1913

To pile armsmuskets

  • (Mil.), to place three guns together so that they may stand upright, supporting each other; to stack arms.
Webster 1913

To stack arms

  • (Mil.), to set up a number of muskets or rifles together, with the bayonets crossing one another, and forming a sort of conical pile.
Webster 1913

To take arms

  • to commence war or hostilities.
Webster 1913

To take up arms

  • . Same as To take arms, above.
Webster 1913

To work at arm's length

  • to work disadvantageously.
Webster 1913

tone arm

  • noun mechanical device consisting of a light balanced arm that carries the cartridge
    pickup arm; pickup.
WordNet

Under arms

  • adverb armed and prepared for fighting
WordNet
  • armed and equipped and in readiness for battle, or for a military parade.
  • . (Mil.) (a) Drawn up fully armed and equipped. (b) Enrolled for military service; as, the state has a million men under arms.
Webster 1913

under-arm

Un"der-arm adjective
Definitions
  1. (Cricket) Done (as bowling) with the arm not raised above the elbow, that is, not swung far out from the body; underhand. Cf. Over-arm and Round-Arm.
Webster 1913

wiper arm

  • noun contact consisting of a conducting arm that rotates over a series of fixed contacts and comes to rest on an outlet
    contact arm; wiper.
WordNet

writing arm

  • noun an arm of a tablet-armed chair; widened to provide a writing surface
WordNet