armpit

noun arm·pit \ ˈärm-ˌpit \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

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

This time around, the Internet is teeming over responses to her visible armpit hair.

— avery matera, Teen Vogue, "Halsey Posts Armpit Hair Selfie on Twitter," 11 Apr. 2018
Breaking news: Halsey has armpit hair, and some troll isn't okay with it.

— alex warner, Marie Claire, "Someone Just Tried Shaming Halsey for Her Armpit Hair, and Her Response Is Epic," 10 Apr. 2018
The ugly: Dashing heroically up to a world-conquering monster, slamming face-first into his armpit, and flopping back to Earth.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Extinction review: Shadow of the colossal disappointment," 10 Apr. 2018
Harris was chased down and subdued by officers when Bates, a wealthy insurance executive with an affinity for law enforcement, shot Harris in the armpit.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Tulsa County, Okla., Agrees to Pay $6 Million in Excessive-Force Lawsuit Over Death of Eric Harris," 10 Mar. 2018
According to a study by Mintel, nearly 25% of women have stopped shaving their armpit hair.

— isis briones, Teen Vogue, "The Most Common Body Hair Removal Myths," 3 Apr. 2018
Four bullets struck Clark in the back, two struck him in the neck, and one each in the armpit and thigh.

— shamira ibrahim, Daily Intelligencer, "The Death and Afterlife of Stephon Clark," 2 Apr. 2018
The autopsy — commissioned by the family of Clark, 22, and conducted by Dr. Bennet Omalu, a private medical examiner — showed that he was shot three times in his lower back, twice near his right shoulder, once in his neck and once under an armpit.

— frances robles and jose a. del real, BostonGlobe.com, "Unarmed Calif. man shot 8 times, autopsy finds," 30 Mar. 2018
According to Omalu, Clark was shot four times in the lower part of his back, twice in his neck, and once under an armpit.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Stephon Clark was shot 8 times from behind or side, family-ordered autopsy says," 30 Mar. 2018

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

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

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

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

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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

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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

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