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View synonyms for

limb

1

[ lim ]

noun

  1. a part or member of an animal body distinct from the head and trunk, as a leg, arm, or wing:

    the lower limbs;

    artificial limbs.

    Synonyms:

  2. a large or main branch of a tree.
  3. a projecting part or member:

    the four limbs of a cross.

  4. a person or thing regarded as a part, member, branch, offshoot, or scion of something:

    a limb of the central committee.

  5. Archery. the upper or lower part of a bow.
  6. Informal. a mischievous child, imp, or young scamp.


verb (used with object)

  1. to cut the limbs from (a felled tree).

limb

2

[ lim ]

noun

  1. Astronomy. the edge of the disk of the sun, a moon, or a planet.
  2. the graduated edge of a quadrant or similar instrument.
  3. Botany.
    1. the upper spreading part of a gamopetalous corolla.
    2. the expanded portion of a petal, sepal, or leaf.

limb

1

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. an arm or leg, or the analogous part on an animal, such as a wing
  2. any of the main branches of a tree
  3. a branching or projecting section or member; extension
  4. a person or thing considered to be a member, part, or agent of a larger group or thing
  5. a mischievous child (esp in limb of Satan or limb of the devil )
  6. out on a limb
    1. in a precarious or questionable position
    2. isolated, esp because of unpopular opinions
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr a rare word for dismember
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

limb

2

/ ɪ /

noun

  1. the edge of the apparent disc of the sun, a moon, or a planet
  2. a graduated arc attached to instruments, such as the sextant, used for measuring angles
  3. botany
    1. the expanded upper part of a bell-shaped corolla
    2. the expanded part of a leaf, petal, or sepal
  4. either of the two halves of a bow
  5. Also calledfold limb either of the sides of a geological fold
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

limb

  1. One of the appendages of an animal, such as an arm of a starfish, the flipper of dolphins, or the arm and leg of a human, used for locomotion or grasping.
  2. The expanded tip of a plant organ, such as a petal or corolla lobe.
  3. The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body.
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • · adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of limb1

First recorded before 900; Middle English lim, lim(m)e, Old English lim; akin to Old Norse lim “small branches, foliage,” limr “limb, joint (of meat),” ī “broom (of twigs), rod,” Latin īܲ “askew, aslant,” ī “transverse beam, threshold, lintel”; the spelling limb first appears at the end of the 16th century, probably influenced by limb 2( def )

Origin of limb2

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English limbe, from Old French limbe, and Latin limbus limbus 2; limbo 1( def )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of limb1

Old English lim; related to Old Norse limr

Origin of limb2

C15: from Latin limbus edge
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. out on a limb, in a dangerous or compromising situation; vulnerable:

    The company overextended itself financially and was soon out on a limb.

More idioms and phrases containing limb

see out on a limb ; risk life and limb .
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Synonym Study

See branch.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

His father also lost a limb in a farm accident as a child, when he lost a leg at the age of two.

From

He raises his arm to demonstrate his defensive motion, but instead of his hand there is now a stump, the limb that saved him needing to be amputated in the aftermath.

From

FND Action said the brain network disorder encompassed neurological symptoms including limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, twitching, sensory issues and more.

From

Cold water shock causes gasping and uncontrolled breathing as the body tries to keep warm and the muscles in limbs will cool, which reduces strength, coordination and the ability to swim.

From

He begins having dreams about Becca, returning nude to their bedroom every night, each time with new scars or limbs missing.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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