arm
UK[ɑːm]US[ɑːrm]
n
Either of the two long limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand.
n
A part of a piece of clothing that covers a person's arm.
n
A long, narrow part of an object or piece of furniture, such as a chair.
n
A branch or division of an organization, especially a military one.
v
To supply someone with weapons or equipment, especially for fighting.
Etymology
The word 'arm' traces its lineage directly back to the Proto-Germanic 'armaz', which carried the same primary meaning of the upper limb. This Germanic root is further connected to the Proto-Indo-European 'h₂er-' meaning 'to fit, to join', a concept that aptly describes the arm's function as the part that joins or connects to the body and the hand. Over time, the concrete anatomical meaning naturally extended to metaphorical uses, such as a branch of an organization (a connecting part) or a part of a chair. The verb sense, 'to supply with weapons', arose in the late Middle English period, drawing a direct link between the limb that wields a weapon and the act of equipping it.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The root is from Old English 'earm', meaning the limb of the body. It functions as a core noun and has developed a related verb sense.
Examples
She held the baby gently in her arms.
The company is the financial arm of a larger conglomerate.
The government refused to arm the rebel forces.