Adjacent Words

Limb definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

LIMB, n. lim. [L. limbus, edge or border, extremity; limes, limit. The sense of limb is from shooting or extending.]
1. Edge or border. This is the proper signification of the word; but in this sense it is limited chiefly to technical use, and applied to the sun, moon, or a star, to a leaf, to a quadrant, etc. We say, the sun or moon is eclipsed on its northern limb. But we never say, the limb of a board, of a tract of land or water, etc.
2. In anatomy, and in common use, an extremity of the human body; a member; a projecting part; as the arm or leg; that is, a shoot.
3. The branch of a tree; applied only to a branch of some size, and not to a small twig.
4. In botany, the border or upper spreading part of a monopetalous corol.
LIMB, v.t. lim.
1. To supply with limbs.
2. To dismember; to tear off the limbs.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
2: any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree [syn: limb, tree branch]
3: (astronomy) the circumferential edge of the apparent disc of the sun or the moon or a planet
4: either of the two halves of a bow from handle to tip; "the upper limb of the bow"
5: the graduated arc that is attached to an instrument for measuring angles; "the limb of the sextant"
6: any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm; "the arm of the record player"; "an arm of the sea"; "a branch of the sewer" [syn: arm, branch, limb]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English lim, from Old English; akin to Old Norse limr limb and perhaps to Old English lith limb Date: before 12th century 1. a. one of the projecting paired appendages (as wings) of an animal body used especially for movement and grasping but sometimes modified into sensory or sexual organs b. a leg or arm of a human being 2. a large primary branch of a tree 3. an active member or agent 4. extension, branch 5. a mischievous child • limbless adjective • limby adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1674 1. dismember 2. to cut off the limbs of (a felled tree) III. noun Etymology: Latin limbus border Date: circa 1677 1. the outer edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body 2. the expanded portion of an organ or structure; especially the upper spreading portion of a corolla (as of the phlox) whose lower part consists of a tube of fused petals

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 any of the projecting parts of a person's or animal's body used for contact or movement. 2 a large branch of a tree. 3 a branch of a cross. 4 a spur of a mountain. 5 a clause of a sentence. Phrases and idioms: out on a limb 1 isolated, stranded. 2 at a disadvantage. tear limb from limb violently dismember. with life and limb (esp. escape) without grave injury. Derivatives: limbed adj. (also in comb.). limbless adj. Etymology: OE lim f. Gmc 2. n. 1 Astron. a a specified edge of the sun, moon, etc. (eastern limb; lower limb). b the graduated edge of a quadrant etc. 2 Bot. the broad part of a petal, sepal, or leaf. Etymology: F limbe or L limbus hem, border

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Limb Limb, v. t. 1. To supply with limbs. [R.] --Milton. 2. To dismember; to tear off the limbs of.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Limb Limb, n. [L. limbus border. Cf. Limbo, Limbus.] A border or edge, in certain special uses. (a) (Bot.) The border or upper spreading part of a monopetalous corolla, or of a petal, or sepal; blade. (b) (Astron.) The border or edge of the disk of a heavenly body, especially of the sun and moon. (c) The graduated margin of an arc or circle, in an instrument for measuring angles.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Limb Limb (l[i^]m), n. [OE. lim, AS. lim; akin to Icel. limr limb, lim branch of a tree, Sw. & Dan. lem limb; cf. also AS. li[eth], OHG. lid, gilid, G. glied, Goth. li[thorn]us. Cf. Lith, Limber.] 1. A part of a tree which extends from the trunk and separates into branches and twigs; a large branch. 2. An arm or a leg of a human being; a leg, arm, or wing of an animal. A second Hector for his grim aspect, And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs. --Shak. 3. A thing or person regarded as a part or member of, or attachment to, something else. --Shak. That little limb of the devil has cheated the gallows. --Sir W. Scott. 4. An elementary piece of the mechanism of a lock. Limb of the law, a lawyer or an officer of the law. [Colloq.] --Landor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(limbs) 1. Your limbs are your arms and legs. She would be able to stretch out her cramped limbs and rest for a few hours. N-COUNT: usu pl 2. The limbs of a tree are its branches. (LITERARY) This entire rickety structure was hanging from the limb of an enormous leafy tree. N-COUNT 3. If someone goes out on a limb, they do something they strongly believe in even though it is risky or extreme, and is likely to fail or be criticized by other people. They can see themselves going out on a limb, voting for a very controversial energy bill. PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR 4. to risk life and limb: see life

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Member, extremity. 2. Branch, bough.

Moby Thesaurus

ankle, appendage, arm, bank, bar, bayonet legs, beam, bine, board, boom, border, bordure, bough, bowlegs, branch, branchedness, branchiness, brim, brink, brow, burgeon, calf, cant hook, claw bar, cnemis, coast, crank, crow, crowbar, deadwood, devil, drumstick, edge, enfant terrible, featheredge, flagellum, flange, foreleg, fork, frame, fringe, frond, gamb, gambrel, gigot, ham, hand, handspike, hem, hind leg, hock, imp, iron crow, jamb, jimmy, joint, knee, labellum, labium, labrum, ledge, leg, lever, limbus, link, lip, list, lobe, lobule, marge, margin, marlinespike, member, mischief, offshoot, organ, outrigger, peavey, pedal, pinch bar, pinion, podite, popliteal space, prize, pry, ragged edge, ramage, ramification, rapscallion, rascal, rim, ripping bar, rogue, runner, sarment, scalawag, scion, scissor-legs, selvage, shank, shin, shoot, shore, side, sideline, skirt, slip, spar, spear, spray, sprig, sprit, sprout, spur, stems, stolon, stumps, sucker, switch, tail, tarsus, tendril, thallus, treadle, trotters, twig, verge, villain, wing, wrecking bar