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at arm's length

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arm

1  [ahrm]
Use at arm's length in a Sentence
–noun
1. the upper limb of the human body, esp. the part extending from the shoulder to the wrist.
2. the upper limb from the shoulder to the elbow.
3. the forelimb of any vertebrate.
4. some part of an organism like or likened to an arm.
5. any armlike part or attachment, as the tone arm of a phonograph.
6. a covering for the arm, esp. a sleeve of a garment: the arm of a coat.
7. an administrative or operational branch of an organization: A special arm of the government will investigate.
8. Nautical. any of the curved or bent pieces of an anchor, terminating in the flukes.
9. an armrest.
10. an inlet or cove: an arm of the sea.
11. a combat branch of the military service, as the infantry, cavalry, or field artillery.
12. power; might; strength; authority: the long arm of the law.
13. Typography. either of the extensions to the right of the vertical line of a K or upward from the vertical stem of a Y.
—Idioms
14. an arm and a leg, a great deal of money: Our night on the town cost us an arm and a leg.
15. arm in arm, with arms linked together or intertwined: They walked along arm in arm.
16. at arm's length, not on familiar or friendly terms; at a distance: He's the kind of person you pity but want to keep at arm's length.
17. in the arms of Morpheus, asleep: After a strenuous day, he was soon in the arms of Morpheus.
18. on the arm, Slang. free of charge; gratis: an investigation of policemen who ate lunch on the arm.
19. put the arm on, Slang.
a. to solicit or borrow money from: She put the arm on me for a generous contribution.
b. to use force or violence on; use strong-arm tactics on: If they don't cooperate, put the arm on them.
20. twist someone's arm, to use force or coercion on someone.
21. with open arms, cordially; with warm hospitality: a country that receives immigrants with open arms.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE earm; c. Goth arms, ON armr, OFris erm, D, OS, OHG arm (G Arm) arm; L armus, Serbo-Croatian rȁme, rȁmo shoulder; akin to Skt īrmá, Avestan arəma-, OPruss irmo arm; not akin to L arma arm 2

Related forms:
armed, adjective
armlike, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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arm 1   (ärm)   
n.  

  1. An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.

  2. A part similar to a human arm, such as the forelimb of an animal or a long part projecting from a central support in a machine.

  3. Something, such as a sleeve on a garment or a support on a chair, that is designed to cover or support the human arm.

  4. A relatively narrow extension jutting out from a large mass: an arm of the sea. See Synonyms at branch.

  5. An administrative or functional branch, as of an organization.

  6. Power or authority: the long arm of the law.

  7. Sports The skill of throwing or pitching a ball well.


[Middle English, from Old English earm; see ar- in Indo-European roots.]
armed (ärmd) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: arm
Pronunciation: 'ärm
Function: noun
1 a : a human upper limb b : the part of the human upper limb between theshoulder and the wrist also : BRACHIUM
2 a : the forelimb of a vertebrate other than ahuman being b : a limb of an invertebrate animal c : any of the usually two parts of a chromosome lateral to the centromere
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

arm 1 (ärm)
n.
An upper limb of the human body, connecting the hand and wrist to the shoulder.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Idioms & Phrases

at arm's length

At a distance, avoiding intimacy or familiarity, as in Bill hated seeing his colleagues outside the office, preferring to keep all of them at arm's length, or She was friendly only when he was safely at arm's length. Now often used with the verb keep, this term for distancing oneself from a person, organization, or issue originated as at arm's end but developed its current form by the mid-1600s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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