limb

¹ American  

[lim] / lɪm /

noun

1. a part or member of an animal body distinct from the head and trunk, as a leg, arm, or wing.

   the lower limbs;

   artificial limbs.

   Synonyms:

   extremity

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.

   a limb of the central committee.

5. Archery. the upper or lower part of a bow.

6. Informal. a mischievous child, imp, or young scamp.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cut the limbs from (a felled tree).

idioms

1. out on a limb, in a dangerous or compromising situation; vulnerable.

   The company overextended itself financially and was soon out on a limb.

limb ² American  

[lim] / lɪm /

noun

1. Astronomy. the edge of the disk of the sun, a moon, or a planet.

2. the graduated edge of a quadrant or similar instrument.

3. Botany.

   1. the upper spreading part of a gamopetalous corolla.

   2. the expanded portion of a petal, sepal, or leaf.

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limb ¹ British  

/ lɪm /

noun

1. the edge of the apparent disc of the sun, a moon, or a planet

2. a graduated arc attached to instruments, such as the sextant, used for measuring angles

3. botany

   1. the expanded upper part of a bell-shaped corolla

   2. the expanded part of a leaf, petal, or sepal

4. either of the two halves of a bow

5. Also called: fold limb.  either of the sides of a geological fold

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limb ² British  

/ lɪm /

noun

1. an arm or leg, or the analogous part on an animal, such as a wing

2. 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. a mischievous child (esp in limb of Satan or limb of the devil )

6. 1. in a precarious or questionable position

   2. isolated, esp because of unpopular opinions

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verb

1. (tr) a rare word for dismember

limb Scientific  

/ lĭm /

1. One of the appendages of an animal, such as an arm of a starfish, the flipper of dolphins, or the arm and leg of a human, used for locomotion or grasping.

2. The expanded tip of a plant organ, such as a petal or corolla lobe.

3. The circumferential edge of the apparent disk of a celestial body.

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limb More Idioms  

1. see out on a limb; risk life and limb.

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Synonym Usage

See branch.

Other Word Forms

• limbless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of limb¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English lim, lim(m)e, Old English lim; akin to Old Norse lim “small branches, foliage,” limr “limb, joint (of meat),” līmi “broom (of twigs), rod,” Latin līmus “askew, aslant,” līmen “transverse beam, threshold, lintel”; the spelling limb first appears at the end of the 16th century, probably influenced by limb ² ( def. )

Origin of limb²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English limbe, from Old French limbe, and Latin limbus limbus ²; see also limbo ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Willing to pay an arm and a leg for those World Series tickets? Then you're willing to give up two of your limbs for the season's biggest baseball games. Arms, legs, wings, flippers — these are all examples of limbs. But we shouldn't leave out the trees. They've got plenty of large branches or limbs as well. In fact, when you expose yourself to potentially negative consequences in order to help someone else, it's called "going out on a limb" — like crawling out on a big tree branch. Not a flipper.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

limb

Crimson underwent multiple bandaging and bracing techniques to aid his limb development.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026

Symptoms can vary from person to person, but can include limb weakness, paralysis, seizures, walking difficulties, spasms, sensory issues and cognitive problems.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

In this case, limb bones made it possible to identify a new species, infer aspects of its locomotion, investigate its phylogenetic relationships, and expand the known distribution of a rare group of Triassic reptiles.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

As everyone knows, it’s riskier to life and limb to drive a car than to fly in a passenger airline.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Before I lost my nerve, I jumped and grabbed the bottom limb of a giant bur oak tree and began to climb up.

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon

Related Words

• arm
• branch
• extremity
• leg
• stem
• wheel
• wing