Meaning & use
forearm
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Meanings
nouncountable
The part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist.
Grammar: Countable noun: one forearm, two forearms.
Patterns
- break your forearm
- grip someone's forearm
- the forearm muscles
He broke his forearm in a skiing accident.
She gripped my forearm to steady herself.
The doctor wrapped a bandage around his forearm.
verbtransitive
To prepare yourself in advance for a fight, attack, or difficulty.
Grammar: Takes an object: forearm yourself with facts.
Patterns
- forearm oneself against something
- forearm oneself with something
They forearmed themselves with legal advice before the meeting.
She forearmed herself against criticism by gathering evidence.
The villagers forearmed themselves with sticks and stones.
Word forms
| plural | forearms |
|---|---|
| third person singular | forearms |
| past tense | forearmed |
| past participle | forearmed |
| present participle | forearming |
Common combinations
- forearm muscles
- He exercised his forearm muscles by lifting weights.
- break your forearm
- She fell and broke her forearm.
- grip someone's forearm
- He gripped my forearm to get my attention.
- forearm yourself against
- They forearmed themselves against possible attacks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lower arm
- A less technical term for the same body part, often used in everyday speech.
Word family
- forearmed adjective
- Prepared in advance, as in 'forewarned is forearmed'.
Commonly confused: forearm or forewarn?
forearm vs forewarn
Forewarn means to warn someone beforehand, while forearm means to prepare in advance or refers to the body part.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'She ______ herself with knowledge before the interview.'
Choose one answer.
The verb 'forearm' means to prepare in advance, often with 'with'. 'Forewarned' means warned beforehand, which doesn't fit the idea of preparing with knowledge. 'Forecast' and 'foretold' are about predicting, not preparing.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “forearm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.