limb
1 Americannoun
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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:
- extremity
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a large or main branch of a tree.
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a projecting part or member.
the four limbs of a cross.
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a person or thing regarded as a part, member, branch, offshoot, or scion of something.
a limb of the central committee.
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Archery. the upper or lower part of a bow.
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Informal. a mischievous child, imp, or young scamp.
verb (used with object)
idioms
noun
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Astronomy. the edge of the disk of the sun, a moon, or a planet.
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the graduated edge of a quadrant or similar instrument.
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Botany.
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the upper spreading part of a gamopetalous corolla.
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the expanded portion of a petal, sepal, or leaf.
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noun
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the edge of the apparent disc of the sun, a moon, or a planet
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a graduated arc attached to instruments, such as the sextant, used for measuring angles
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botany
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the expanded upper part of a bell-shaped corolla
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the expanded part of a leaf, petal, or sepal
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either of the two halves of a bow
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Also called: fold limb. either of the sides of a geological fold
noun
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an arm or leg, or the analogous part on an animal, such as a wing
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any of the main branches of a tree
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a branching or projecting section or member; extension
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a person or thing considered to be a member, part, or agent of a larger group or thing
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a mischievous child (esp in limb of Satan or limb of the devil )
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in a precarious or questionable position
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isolated, esp because of unpopular opinions
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verb
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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.
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The expanded tip of a plant organ, such as a petal or corolla lobe.
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The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body.
Related Words
See branch.
Other Word Forms
- limbless adjective
Etymology
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),” līmi “broom (of twigs), rod,” Latin līmus “askew, aslant,” līmen “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. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Look at the length of the skull, the length of the neck, and the length of the hind limb -- you're in heron territory."
From Barron's
Releford later moved to Los Angeles, where, as a podiatric surgeon specializing in amputation prevention and limb preservation in high-risk populations, he saw firsthand how diet shapes long-term outcomes.
From Los Angeles Times
Washington: I’m not the only one here jumping on a limb — she’s gonna smoke it.
From Los Angeles Times
That’s when Papa made a crutch for her out of a red oak limb with a fork on one end.
From Literature
I crawled out the window, my eyes so heavy and my limbs so tired, I had to concentrate extra hard just to make my fingers grip the wall.
From Literature
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.
