arms (redirected from lay down arms)

ARM

abbr.

adjustable-rate mortgage

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arm ¹  (ärm)

n.

1. An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.

2. A part similar to a human arm, such as the forelimb of an animal or a long part projecting from a central support in a machine.

3. Something, such as a sleeve on a garment or a support on a chair, that is designed to cover or support the human arm.

4. A relatively narrow extension jutting out from a large mass: an arm of the sea. See Synonyms at branch.

5. An administrative or functional branch, as of an organization.

6. Power or authority: the long arm of the law.

7. Sports The skill of throwing or pitching a ball well.

Idioms:

an arm and a leg Slang

An excessively high price: a cruise that cost an arm and a leg.

arm in arm

With arms linked together: They walked across the beach arm in arm.

at arm's length

At such a distance that physical or social contact is discouraged: kept the newcomer at arm's length at first.

with open arms

With great cordiality and hospitality.

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[Middle English, from Old English earm; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]

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armed (ärmd) adj.

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arm ²  (ärm)

n.

1. A weapon, especially a firearm: troops bearing arms; ICBMs, bombs, and other nuclear arms.

2. A branch of a military force: infantry, armor, and other combat arms.

3. arms

a. Warfare: a call to arms against the invaders.

b. Military service: several million volunteers under arms; the profession of arms.

4. arms

a. Heraldry Bearings.

b. Insignia, as of a state, an official, a family, or an organization.

v. armed, arm·ing, arms

v.intr.

1. To supply or equip oneself with weaponry.

2. To prepare oneself for warfare or conflict.

v.tr.

1. To equip with weapons: armed themselves with loaded pistols; arm a missile with a warhead; arm a nation for war.

2. To equip with what is needed for effective action: tax advisers who were armed with the latest forms.

3. To provide with something that strengthens or protects: a space reentry vehicle that was armed with a ceramic shield.

4. To prepare (a weapon) for use or operation, as by releasing a safety device.

Idiom:

up in arms

Extremely upset; indignant.

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[From Middle English armes, weapons, from Old French, pl. of arme, weapon, from Latin arma, weapons; see ar- in Indo-European roots. V., Middle English armen, from Old French armer, from Latin armre, from arma.]

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armed (ärmd) adj.

armer n.

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arms

Noun, pl

1. weapons collectively

2. military exploits: prowess in arms

3. the heraldic symbols of a family or state

4. take up arms to prepare to fight

5. under arms armed and prepared for war

6. up in arms prepared to protest strongly

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	arms - weapons considered collectively       implements of war, munition, weaponry, weapons system ammo, ammunition - projectiles to be fired from a gun armament - weaponry used by military or naval force bomb - an explosive device fused to explode under specific conditions defence system, defense system - the weaponry available for the defense of a region gunnery - guns collectively hardware - major items of military weaponry (as tanks or missile) instrumentation, instrumentality - an artifact (or system of artifacts) that is instrumental in accomplishing some end naval weaponry - weaponry for warships weapon, weapon system, arm - any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting; "he was licensed to carry a weapon"
	2.	arms - the official symbols of a family, state, etc. blazon, blazonry, coat of arms crest - (heraldry) in medieval times, an emblem used to decorate a helmet heraldry - emblem indicating the right of a person to bear arms quartering - a coat of arms that occupies one quarter of an escutcheon; combining four coats of arms on one shield usually represented intermarriages heraldry - the study and classification of armorial bearings and the tracing of genealogies

Translations

arms [ɑːmz] npl (= weapons) → armas fpl;

(HERALDRY) → escudo sg

arms [ɑːmz] npl (= weapons) → armi fpl;

(HERALDRY) → stemma m