arms

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Weapons, especially guns, considered as a group.

   The soldiers were ordered to lay down their arms and surrender.

2. 2
   noun

   The official symbol or design representing a family, city, or country (coat of arms).

   The arms of the city show a golden lion on a red shield.

Common collocations

• nuclear arms Adjective + noun
• small arms Adjective + noun
• lay down arms Verb + noun
• take up arms Verb + noun
• conventional arms Adjective + noun

From Middle English armes, from Old French armes, from Latin arma (“weapons”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-mo-, a suffixed form of *h₂er- (“to fit together”), hence ultimately cognate with etymology 2.

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