Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - arm

~1 n 1 »BODY« one of the two long parts of your body between your shoulders and your hands  (Mom put her arms around me to comfort me. | Pat appeared carrying a large box under his arm. | a broken arm | with arms folded/crossed (=with your arms bent so that they are resting against your body) | take sb by the arm (=lead someone somewhere by holding their arm))  (Sid took me by the arm and hurried me out of the room. | take sb in your arms (=gently hold someone with your arms))  (Gerry took Fiona in his arms and kissed her.) 2 »WEAPONS« arms weapons used for fighting wars  (The government is cutting arms expenditure. | take up arms (against sb) (=get weapons and prepare to fight))  (Boys as young as 13 are taking up arms to defend the city. | lay down your arms (=put your weapons down and stop fighting) | under arms BrE (=with weapons and ready to fight))  (All available forces are under arms.)  (- see also small arms) 3 »FURNITURE« the arm of a chair, sofa etc is the part you rest your arms on 4 »CLOTHING« the part of a piece of clothing that covers your arm; sleeve 5 arm in arm if you walk arm in arm with someone, you are walking next to them with your arm in theirs 6 be up in arms informal to be very angry and ready to argue or fight  (Residents are up in arms about plans for a new road along the beach.) 7 welcome sb/sth with open arms to show that you are happy to see someone or eager to accept an idea, plan etc  (We welcomed Henry's offer with open arms.) 8 give your right arm to be willing to do anything to get or do something  (I'd give my right arm to be 21 again.) 9 at arm's length if you hold something at arm's length, you hold it away from your body 10 keep sb at arm's length to avoid developing a relationship with someone  (Petra keeps all men at arm's length to avoid getting hurt.) 11 as long as your arm informal a list or written document that is as long as your arm is very long 12 »PART OF GROUP« a part of a large group that is responsible for a particular type of activity  (the political arm of a terrorist organization) 13 »OBJECT/MACHINE« the arm of an object or piece of machinery is the long thin part that looks or moves like an arm  (the arm of a record player) 14 »DESIGN« arms a set of pictures or patterns, usually painted on a shield, that is used as the special sign of a family, town, university etc; coat of arms 15 on your arm old-fashioned if a man has a woman on his arm, she is walking beside him holding his arm  (- see also arms akimbo akimbo, babe in arms babe (1), brothers in arms brother1 (5), fold sb/sth in your arms fold1 (7), twist sb's arms twist1 (9)) ~2 v 1 to provide weapons for yourself, an army, a country etc in order to prepare for a fight or a war  (arm sb with sth)  (We armed ourselves with whatever we could lay our hands on.)  (- see also armed (1), unarmed) 2 to provide all the information, power etc that are needed to deal with a difficult situation or argument  (I've armed myself with all the facts I need to prove my point.)