arm

noun \ ˈärm \

Definition of arm

1 : a human upper limb; especially : the part between the shoulder and the wrist

2 : something like or corresponding to an arm: such as

a : the forelimb of a vertebrate

b : a limb of an invertebrate animal

c : a branch or lateral shoot of a plant

d : a slender part of a structure, machine, or an instrument projecting from a main part, axis, or fulcrum

e : the end of a ship's yard; also : the part of an anchor from the crown to the fluke — see anchor illustration

f : any of the usually two parts of a chromosome lateral to the centromere

3 : an inlet of water (as from the sea)

4 : a narrow extension of a larger area, mass, or group

5 : power, might

the long arm of the law

6 : a support (as on a chair) for the elbow and forearm

7 : sleeve

8 : the ability to throw or pitch a ball well; also : a player having such ability

9 : a functional division of a group, organization, institution, or activity

the logistical arm of the air force

—

armless

play \ˈärm-ləs\ adjective

—

armlike

play \-ˌlīk\ adjective

— arm in arm

: with arms linked together

Origin and Etymology of arm

Middle English, from Old English earm; akin to Latin armus shoulder, Sanskrit īrma arm

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

arm

verb

Definition of arm

transitive verb

1 : to furnish or equip with weapons

2 : to furnish with something that strengthens or protects

arming citizens with the right to vote

3 : to equip or ready for action or operation

arm a bomb

intransitive verb

: to prepare oneself for struggle or resistance

arm for combat

See arm defined for English-language learners

Examples of arm in a Sentence

They armed the men for battle.
The group of fighters was armed by a foreign government.
The two countries have been arming themselves for years, but now they have agreed to disarm.
We armed ourselves with the tools we would need to survive in the forest.
They arm people with accurate information.
arming women with the right to vote
Once the bomb has been armed, we have five minutes to escape.

Origin and Etymology of arm

Middle English armen, from Anglo-French armer, from Latin armare, from arma weapons, tools; akin to Latin ars skill, Greek harmos joint, arariskein to fit

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

arm

noun, often attributive

Definition of arm

1 a : a means (such as a weapon) of offense or defense; especially : firearm

b : a combat branch (as of an army)

c : an organized branch of national defense (such as the navy)

2 arms plural

a : the hereditary heraldic devices of a family

b : heraldic devices adopted by a government

3 arms plural

a : active hostilities : warfare

a call to arms

b : military service

— up in arms

: aroused and ready to undertake a fight or conflict

Origin and Etymology of arm

Middle English armes (plural) weapons, from Anglo-French, from Latin arma

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Arm

abbreviation

Definition of Arm

Armenian

Other Anthropology Terms

ectomorph, ethnography, prehistory, yurt

ARM

abbreviation

Definition of ARM

adjustable rate mortgage

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

Financial Definition of ARM

ARM

abbreviation

What It Is

An adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) is a type of mortgage using a varying interest rate calculated by adding a premium to a specific benchmark rate. These loans are also called variable-rate mortgages or floating-rate mortgages.

How It Works

The idea behind ARMs is very simple, but there are many covenants that can be included in the contracts to complicate things. Two common types of ARMs are the interest-only ARM and the hybrid ARM. Interest-only ARMs offer a set period during which the borrower only pays the interest on the loan. This reduces the borrower's payment, but it leaves the principal outstanding. Hybrid ARMs offer a fixed interest rate for a period of time and then revert to a variable rate for the remainder of the loan's life. A 3/1 ARM, for example, is a mortgage that carries a fixed rate for the first three years and then adjusts every year thereafter.

In many cases, ARMs have caps -- limits on how high and sometimes how low the interest rate can go, and how much they can move in any one year, month, or quarter. In some cases, the interest rate will only adjust up -- that is, borrowers will get no benefit if interest rates fall.

To understand how adjustable interest rates affect a borrower's payment, let's assume that a bank offers a $100,000 ARM to a potential borrower. The interest rate is the prime rate plus 5% with a maximum of 10%. If the prime rate is 3%, then the borrower's interest rate is 8% (5% + 3%), and the monthly payment would be $733.77. But if the prime rate increases to, say, 4%, then the loan's interest rate resets to 9% (5% + 4%), and the payment is now $804.63.

[InvestingAnswers Feature: Mortgage Calculator: What Will My Monthly Principal & Interest Payment Be?]

Why It Matters

As you can see, ARMs can have complex implications. Thus, as is the case with any loan, borrowers must be sure to read and understand the lender's documentation and contemplate the implications of changes in margins. Borrowers should be sure they can handle the worst-case scenario of being forced to make the highest mortgage payments allowed. Lenders are legally required to disclose how high the borrower's monthly payment might go.

Source: Investing Answers

ARM Defined for English Language Learners

arm

verb

Definition of arm for English Language Learners

: to provide (yourself, a group, a country, etc.) with weapons especially in order to fight a war or battle
: to provide (someone) with a way of fighting, competing, or succeeding
: to make (a bomb, weapon, etc.) ready for use

ARM Defined for Kids

arm

noun \ ˈärm \

Definition of arm for Students

1 : a human upper limb especially between the shoulder and wrist

2 : something like an arm in shape or position

an arm of the sea

the arm of a chair

3 : sleeve 1

4 : ¹power 1

the long arm of the law

5 : a foreleg of a four-footed animal

arm

verb

Definition of arm for Students

armed; arming

1 : to provide with weapons

2 : to provide with a way of fighting, competing, or succeeding

She armed her lawyer with facts.

arm

noun

Definition of arm for Students

1 : weapon, firearm

2 : a branch of an army or of the military forces

3 arms plural : the designs on a shield or flag of a family or government

4 arms plural : actual fighting : warfare

a call to arms

Medical Dictionary

arm

noun \ ˈärm \

medical Definition of arm

1 a : a human upper limb

b : the part of the human upper limb between the shoulder and the wrist; also : brachium

2 a : the forelimb of a vertebrate other than a human being

b : a limb of an invertebrate animal

c : any of the usually two parts of a chromosome lateral to the centromere

3 : a group of subjects provided a particular treatment in a clinical trial

Since this trial did not include a radiation-only treatment arm, it has been questioned whether radiation therapy alone might be as effective as sequential chemotherapy and radiation therapy in preserving the larynx.
—Everett E. Vokes et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 21 Jan. 1993