armpit

noun

arm·​pit ˈärm-ˌpit 

1

: the hollow beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder

2

: the least desirable place : pit

… 77th Street Station … was the armpit of detective duty.

—Joseph Wambaugh

Examples of armpit in a Sentence

a city described as the armpit of America

Recent Examples on the Web

Watch for a new or unexplained lump in the breast or armpit, ongoing breast pain unrelated to the menstrual cycle, skin dimpling or redness, a newly inverted nipple or unexpected discharge and swelling in the lymph nodes near the arm or collarbone. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026

His attention drifts towards intimate details – the bare armpit, the small hollow at the base of Rafael’s neck – and the music follows him into this increasingly private, almost obsessive fascination. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Police said Abbigail was shot in the armpit anyway, and later died at Mount Sinai Hospital. — Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

When removing a tumor from a patient’s breast, surgeons sometimes make an incision in the armpit and take a small amount of lymph node tissue to see if the cancer has spread there. — Allessandra Dicorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for armpit

• acquit
• admit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit
• dendrite
• emit
• illite
• misfit
• moonlit

Kids Definition

armpit

noun

arm·​pit ˈärm-ˌpit 

: the hollow beneath the spot where the arm and shoulder join

Medical Definition

armpit

noun

arm·​pit ˈärm-ˌpit 

: the hollow beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder : axilla