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Synonyms

limber

1 American  
[lim-ber] / ˈlɪm bər /

adjective

  1. characterized by ease in bending the body; supple; lithe.

    Antonyms:
    stiff, stiff

  2. bending readily; flexible; pliant.

    Synonyms:
    pliable
    Antonyms:
    unbending, rigid, stiff, stiff

verb (used without object)

  1. to make oneself limber (usually followed byup ).

    to limber up before the game.

verb (used with object)

  1. to make (something) limber (usually followed byup ).

    She tried to limber up her wits before the exam.
limber 2 American  
[lim-ber] / ˈlɪm bər /

noun

  1. a two-wheeled vehicle, originally pulled by four or six horses, behind which is towed a field gun or caisson.

verb (used with object)

  1. to attach the limber to (a gun) in preparation for moving away (sometimes followed byup ).

verb (used without object)

  1. to attach a limber to a gun (usually followed byup ).

limber 3 American  
[lim-ber] / ˈlɪm bər /

noun

  1. Nautical. Usually limbers. a passage or gutter in which seepage collects to be pumped away, located on each side of a central keelson; bilge.

limber 1 British  
/ ˈlɪmbə /

adjective

  1. capable of being easily bent or flexed; pliant

  2. able to move or bend freely; agile

"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
limber 2 British  
/ ˈlɪmbə /

noun

  1. part of a gun carriage, often containing ammunition, consisting of an axle, pole, and two wheels, that is attached to the rear of an item of equipment, esp field artillery

"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. (usually foll by up) to attach the limber (to a gun, etc)

"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
limber 3 British  
/ ˈlɪmbə /

noun

  1. (often plural) nautical (in the bilge of a vessel) a fore-and-aft channel through a series of holes in the frames ( limber holes ) where water collects and can be pumped out

"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

Related Words

See flexible.

Other Word Forms

  • limberly adverb
  • limberness noun

Etymology

Origin of limber1

First recorded in 1555–65; of uncertain origin; perhaps akin to limb 1

Origin of limber2

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English limour, lemer “cart shaft”; limb 1, -er 1

Origin of limber3

First recorded in 1620–30; of uncertain origin; perhaps from French lumière “hole, perforation,” literally, “light,” from Late Latin lūmināria; luminaria

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.

With the hip replacements, he’s limber enough to climb into the large machinery needed to harvest crops, spray pesticides, plant seeds and move hay bales that weigh roughly 1,000 pounds each.

From The Wall Street Journal

Jonathan did some leg stretches to keep limber and then glanced down the trail again.

From Literature

Later in the show, she dazzled in a dance performance as a surprisingly limber 87-year-old grandpa who’s brought to life by Earth, Wind & Fire songs at his grandson’s wedding.

From Los Angeles Times

But they might just be the most limber.

From The Wall Street Journal

Countless dance lessons had made her spine limber as a cat’s, and she never tired of showing off.

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.