armpit

play

noun arm·pit \ ˈärm-ˌpit \

Definition of armpit

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

See armpit defined for English-language learners

See armpit defined for kids

Examples of armpit in a Sentence

a city described as the armpit of America

Recent Examples of armpit from the Web

The devices are simple to use — a person unscrews the jar with a gauze pad inside, wipes their armpit with the pad, and puts it into the jar and seals it while keeping it away from heat and sunlight.

— harry sayer, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Smelly' new crime fighting tool helps deputies track missing people," 8 July 2017
A great composer and a great armpit-farter may be equally rich in their degree of talent, but not in the quality or desirability of their talents.

— jonah goldberg, National Review, "When Would You Stop Loving America?," 5 July 2017
The other man, 20, was shot in the armpit, officials said.

— katherine rosenberg-douglas, chicagotribune.com, "1 shot dead, 2 others shot as holiday weekend wears on," 4 July 2017
And Lavinthal goes all in on the process, with the pro injecting her armpits with Botox, which prevents the body’s nerves from sending a message to the sweat glands, ultimately preventing perspiration.

— jillian ruffo, PEOPLE.com, "Does Armpit Botox Really Stop Sweating? Watch One PEOPLE Editor Put This Beauty Treatment to the Test," 30 June 2017
In the meantime, body temperatures can be lowered by icing the pressure points — the neck, groin and armpits.

— USA TODAY, "Tips on avoiding heatstroke and dehydration," 27 June 2017
There can also be painful swelling of the lymph node in the groin, armpit or neck.

— ray bogan, Fox News, "2 new plague cases confirmed in New Mexico," 27 June 2017
Ford, naturally, walked through the job on her Instagram story, which Allure caught: Dye envy aside, the use of armpit hair is, alas, still somewhat of a political choice.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "This Rainbow Armpit Hair Look Is Perfect for Pride," 21 June 2017
Joseph Kauser, an officer who arrived to provide backup, stood on the right side of Castile's car with his thumbs hooked in a casual position on the inner armpit area of his bullet resistant vest.

— ralph ellis, CNN, "Philando Castile shooting: What we know about the dash cam video," 20 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'armpit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of armpit

14th century

ARMPIT Defined for English Language Learners

armpit

play

noun

Definition of armpit for English Language Learners

: the hollow area on a person's body beneath the place where the arm and the shoulder meet
: the worst area in a place

ARMPIT Defined for Kids

armpit

play

noun arm·pit \ ˈärm-ˌpit \

Definition of armpit for Students

:the hollow under a person's arm where the arm joins the shoulder

Medical Dictionary

armpit

play

noun arm·pit \ ˈärm-ˌpit \

medical Definition of armpit

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

Learn More about armpit

See words that rhyme with armpit Spanish Central: Translation of armpit Nglish: Translation of armpit for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of armpit for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up armpit? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

armpit

Definition of armpit

Examples of armpit in a Sentence

Recent Examples of armpit from the Web

First Known Use of armpit

ARMPIT Defined for English Language Learners

armpit

Definition of armpit for English Language Learners

ARMPIT Defined for Kids

armpit

Definition of armpit for Students

Medical Dictionary

armpit

medical Definition of armpit

Learn More about armpit

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

legerity

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Let's Talk 'Tea'

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

True or False?

Syn City

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066

armpit

Definition of armpit

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of armpit in a Sentence

Recent Examples of armpit from the Web

First Known Use of armpit

ARMPIT Defined for English Language Learners

armpit

Definition of armpit for English Language Learners

ARMPIT Defined for Kids

armpit

Definition of armpit for Students

Medical Dictionary

armpit

medical Definition of armpit

Learn More about armpit

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Breathing Life Into 'Inspire'

Trending: Kim Jong Un: Trump a 'Dotard'

These Are Fighting Words

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

Words of the Year: 1066