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Meaning & use

limb

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/lɪm/
US/lɪm/

Meanings

  1. nouncountable

    An arm, leg or wing of a person or animal.

    Grammar: Countable: one limb, four limbs.

    Patterns

    • lose a limb
    • a limb of something

    The patient was fitted with an artificial limb after the accident.

    A starfish can regrow a lost limb.

    Her limbs ached after the long hike.

  2. nouncountable

    A large branch of a tree.

    Grammar: Countable and usually refers to a thick branch: a tree limb.

    Patterns

    • a limb of a tree

    A heavy limb fell across the road during the storm.

    The children climbed onto the lowest limb of the oak.

    He sawed off the dead limb before it could drop.

  3. nouncountablefigurative

    A part that extends from a larger body, such as a branch of an organization or a section of a structure.

    Grammar: Figurative use, usually followed by of: a limb of the church.

    Patterns

    • a limb of something

    The charity is a limb of the larger relief organization.

    The new road is a limb of the highway network.

    This department is the research limb of the company.

Word forms

plurallimbs

Common combinations

artificial limb
He learned to run again with an artificial limb.
lose a limb
Many soldiers lost a limb in the war.
upper limb
The doctor examined her upper limb for swelling.
life and limb
They risked life and limb to save the dog.
out on a limb
She went out on a limb and backed the unpopular plan.
tear limb from limb
The bear threatened to tear the tent limb from limb.

Synonyms and how they differ

appendage
Appendage is a more technical word for any part attached to the body, including tails and fins, not just arms and legs.
branch
Branch is the ordinary word for a part of a tree, while limb suggests a thicker, main branch.
extremity
Extremity is a medical term for a hand, foot or other far end of the body, and is narrower than limb.

Opposites

trunk

Word family

limbless adjective
having no limbs
limber adjective
flexible and easily moved
dismember verb
to cut the limbs from a body
forelimb noun
a front leg or arm of an animal

Commonly confused: limb or limp?

limb vs limp

Limp means weak or not stiff, or to walk unevenly. A limb is a body part or tree branch.

Practice

She decided to go out on a ______ and invest her savings in the new business.

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