limb

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limb

large branch of a tree; an arm, leg, or wing
Not to be confused with:
limn – to draw; portray in words; describe
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree

limb 1

 (lĭm)
n.
1. One of the larger branches of a tree.
2. One of the jointed appendages of an animal, such as an arm, leg, wing, or flipper, used for locomotion or grasping.
3. An extension or a projecting part, as of a building or mountain range.
4.
a. An extension or part distinguished from the main body or group: the conservative limb of the party.
b. A member or representative of a group: was arrested by a burly limb of the law.
5. Archaic An impish child.
tr.v. limbed, limb·ing, limbs
To remove the branches from.
Idiom:
(out) on a limb Informal
In a difficult, awkward, or vulnerable position.

[Alteration (probably influenced by limb) of Middle English lim, from Old English.]

limb 2

 (lĭm)
n.
1. Astronomy The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body.
2. Mathematics The edge of a graduated arc or circle used in an instrument to measure angles.
3. Botany The expanded tip of a plant organ, such as a petal or corolla lobe.

[Middle English limbe, graduated edge of an astronomical instrument, from Old French, from Latin limbus, border.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

limb

(lɪm)
n
1. (Anatomy) an arm or leg, or the analogous part on an animal, such as a wing
2. (Botany) any of the main branches of a tree
3. a branching or projecting section or member; extension
4. a person or thing considered to be a member, part, or agent of a larger group or thing
5. chiefly Brit a mischievous child (esp in limb of Satan or limb of the devil)
6. out on a limb
a. in a precarious or questionable position
b. Brit isolated, esp because of unpopular opinions
vb
(tr) a rare word for dismember
[Old English lim; related to Old Norse limr]
ˈlimbless adj

limb

(lɪm)
n
1. (Astronomy) the edge of the apparent disc of the sun, a moon, or a planet
2. (Surveying) a graduated arc attached to instruments, such as the sextant, used for measuring angles
3. (Botany) botany
a. the expanded upper part of a bell-shaped corolla
b. the expanded part of a leaf, petal, or sepal
4. (Archery) either of the two halves of a bow
5. (Geological Science) Also called: fold limb either of the sides of a geological fold
[C15: from Latin limbus edge]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

limb1

(lɪm)
n.
1. one of the paired bodily appendages of animals, used esp. for moving or grasping; a leg, arm, or wing.
2. a large or main branch of a tree.
3. a projecting part or member: the four limbs of a cross.
4. a person or thing regarded as a part, member, branch, offshoot, or scion of something.
v.t.
5. to cut the limbs from (a felled tree).
6. to dismember.
Idioms:
out on a limb, in a risky or vulnerable situation.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English lim]
limb′less, adj.

limb2

(lɪm)

n.
the graduated edge of a quadrant or similar instrument.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin limbus; see limbus, limbo1]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.limb - one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: armlimb - one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
hind limb, hindlimb - a posterior appendage such as a leg or the homologous structure in other animals
forelimb - the front limb (or the homologous structure in other animals, such as a flipper or wing)
flipper - the flat broad limb of aquatic animals specialized for swimming
appendage, extremity, member - an external body part that projects from the body; "it is important to keep the extremities warm"
stump - the part of a limb or tooth that remains after the rest is removed
leg - a human limb; commonly used to refer to a whole limb but technically only the part of the limb between the knee and ankle
crus - the leg from the knee to foot
leg - a structure in animals that is similar to a human leg and used for locomotion
thigh - the part of the leg between the hip and the knee
arm - a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
cubitus - the arm from the elbow to the fingertips
forearm - the part of the superior limb between the elbow and the wrist
extremity - that part of a limb that is farthest from the torso
appendicular skeleton - the part of the skeleton that includes the pectoral girdle and the pelvic girdle and the upper and lower limbs
2.limb - any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a treelimb - any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree
tree - a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
branch - a division of a stem, or secondary stem arising from the main stem of a plant
stick - a small thin branch of a tree
bough - any of the larger branches of a tree
3.limb - (astronomy) the circumferential edge of the apparent disc of the sun or the moon or a planet
astronomy, uranology - the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole
edge, border - the boundary of a surface
4.limb - either of the two halves of a bow from handle to tip; "the upper limb of the bow"
bow - a weapon for shooting arrows, composed of a curved piece of resilient wood with a taut cord to propel the arrow
part, portion - something less than the whole of a human artifact; "the rear part of the house"; "glue the two parts together"
5.limb - the graduated arc that is attached to an instrument for measuring angles; "the limb of the sextant"
octant - a measuring instrument for measuring angles to a celestial body; similar to a sextant but with 45 degree calibration
sextant - a measuring instrument for measuring the angular distance between celestial objects; resembles an octant
arc - a continuous portion of a circle
6.limb - any projection that is thought to resemble a human armlimb - any projection that is thought to resemble a human arm; "the arm of the record player"; "an arm of the sea"; "a branch of the sewer"
projection - any structure that branches out from a central support
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

limb

noun
1. part, member, arm, leg, wing, extension, extremity, appendage She stretched out her cramped limbs.
2. branch, spur, projection, offshoot, bough the limb of an enormous leafy tree
out on a limb independently, separately, in a dangerous position, sticking your neck out (informal) They went out on a limb, voting for a controversial energy bill.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
طَرَف: ذِراع او رِجْلغُصْن
končetinavětev
grenlem
faágvastag faág
greinlimur
galūnėvienišas ir atstumtas
liels zarsloceklis
končatina
ud
dalkol ya da bacak

limb

[lɪm] N (Anat) → miembro m, extremidad f; [of tree] → rama f
to lose a limbperder uno de los miembros or una de las extremidades
to be/go out on a limb (in danger) → estar/quedar en peligro; (= be isolated) → estar/quedarse aislado; (= take risk) → correr el riesgo
to tear sb limb from limbdespedazar a algn
see also life A1
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

limb

[ˈlɪm] n
[person] → membre m
[tree] → branche f
to go out on a limb (= take a risk) → risquer de s'isoler
to be out on a limb → être isolé(e)
limber up
[ˌlɪmbərˈʌp] vise dégourdir, se mettre en train
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

limb

n
(Anat) → Glied nt; limbs plGlieder pl, → Gliedmaßen pl; the lower limbsdie unteren Gliedmaßen; to rest one’s tired limbsseine müden Glieder or Knochen (inf)ausruhen; to tear somebody limb from limbjdn in Stücke reißen; to risk life and limbLeib und Leben riskieren or aufs Spiel setzen
(of tree)Ast m; to be out on a limb (fig)exponiert sein; to go out on a limb (fig)sich exponieren; John’s ideas put him out on a limbJohn steht mit seinen Ideen allein auf weiter Flur; he had left himself out on a limber hatte sich in eine prekäre Lage gebracht
(of cross)Balken m; (of organization etc)Glied nt
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

limb

[lɪm] n (Anat) → arto; (of tree) → (grosso) ramo
a man with strong limbs → un uomo dalle membra robuste
to be out on a limb (fig) → trovarsi in difficoltà
to go out on a limb (fig) → esporsi
to tear limb from limb → sbranare, fare a pezzettini
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

limb

(lim) noun
1. an arm or leg.
2. a branch.
out on a limb
on one's own and in a dangerous or disadvantageous position.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

limb

1. n. extremidad, miembro del cuerpo;
2. porción terminal o distal de una estructura;
___ amputationamputación de una ___;
___ rigidityrigidez de la ___ o del miembro;
___ paindolor en las extremidades.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

limb

n extremidad f (form), miembro; residual — (form) muñón m
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in periodicals archive ?
Tree felling, limbing, and bucking are all about physics.
Limbing is the cause of most accidents, though they are not as serious as those from falling.
To simplify limbing small conifers, fall them across another tree to hold them off the ground, preferably at waist height.