What is "limb"

Limb \Limb\, v. t.

1. To supply with limbs. [R.]
   --Milton.

2. To dismember; to tear off the limbs of.

Limb \Limb\, n. [L. limbus border. Cf. Limbo, Limbus.] A border or edge, in certain special uses.

1. (Bot.) The border or upper spreading part of a monopetalous corolla, or of a petal, or sepal; blade.

2. (Astron.) The border or edge of the disk of a heavenly body, especially of the sun and moon.

3. The graduated margin of an arc or circle, in an instrument for measuring angles.

Limb \Limb\ (l[i^]m), n. [OE. lim, AS. lim; akin to Icel. limr limb, lim branch of a tree, Sw. & Dan. lem limb; cf. also AS. li[eth], OHG. lid, gilid, G. glied, Goth. li[thorn]us. Cf. Lith, Limber.]

1. A part of a tree which extends from the trunk and separates into branches and twigs; a large branch.

2. An arm or a leg of a human being; a leg, arm, or wing of an animal.

   A second Hector for his grim aspect, And large proportion of his strong-knit limbs.
   --Shak.

3. A thing or person regarded as a part or member of, or attachment to, something else.
   --Shak.

   That little limb of the devil has cheated the gallows.
   --Sir W. Scott.

4. An elementary piece of the mechanism of a lock.

   Limb of the law, a lawyer or an officer of the law. [Colloq.]
   --Landor.

"part or member," Old English lim "limb, joint, main branch of a tree," from Proto-Germanic *limu- (cognates: Old Norse limr "limb," lim "small branch of a tree"), a variant of *liþu- (source of Old English liþ, Old Frisian lith, Old Norse liðr, Gothic liþus "a limb;" and with prefix ga-, source of German Glied "limb, member"), from PIE root *lei- "to bend, be movable, be nimble." The parasitic -b began to appear late 1500s for no etymological reason (perhaps by influence of limb (n.2)). In Old and Middle English, and until lately in dialects, it could mean "any visible body part."The lymmes of generacion were shewed manyfestly. [Caxton, "The subtyl historyes and fables of Esope, Auyan, Alfonce, and Poge," 1484]Hence, limb-lifter "fornicator" (1570s). To go out on a limb in figurative sense "enter a risky situation" is from 1897. Life and limb in reference to the body inclusively is from c.1200.

late 14c., "edge of a quadrant or other instrument," from Latin limbus "border, hem, fringe, edge," of uncertain origin. Klein suggests cognate with Sanskrit lambate "hangs down," and English limp. But Tucker writes that "the sense appears to be that of something which twists, goes round, or binds ... not of something which hangs loose," and suggests cognates in Lithuanian linta "ribbon," Old Norse linnr "whether." Astronomical sense of "edge of the disk of a heavenly body" first attested 1670s.

Etymology 1 n. 1 A major appendage of human or animal, used for locomotion (such as an arm, leg or wing). 2 A branch of a tree. 3 (lb en archery) The part of the bow, from the handle to the tip. 4 (lb en botany) The border or upper spreading part of a monopetalous corolla, or of a petal or sepal; blade. 5 (lb en astronomy) The border or edge of the disk of a heavenly body, especially of the sun or moon. 6 The graduated margin of an arc or circle in an instrument for measuring angles. 7 An elementary piece of the mechanism of a lock. 8 A thing or person regarded as a part or member of, or attachment to, something else. vb. 1 To remove the limbs from an animal or tree. 2 To supply with limbs. Etymology 2

n. 1 (context astronomy English) The apparent visual edge of a celestial body. 2 (context on a measuring instrument English) The graduated edge of a circle or arc.

1. n. one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper

2. any of the main branches arising from the trunk or a bough of a tree [syn: tree branch]

3. (astronomy) the circumferential edge of the apparent disc of the sun or the moon or a planet

4. either of the two halves of a bow from handle to tip; "the upper limb of the bow"

5. the graduated arc that is attached to an instrument for measuring angles; "the limb of the sextant"

6. any projection that is thought to resemble an arm; "the arm of the record player"; "an arm of the sea"; "a branch of the sewer" [syn: arm, branch]

Limb is a compilation album Foetus, released on May 15, 2009 by Ectopic Ents. Limb collects out-of-print and previously unreleased instrumental tracks from the early days of Foetus (Thirlwell's instrumental tracks would later be released under the names Steroid Maximus and Manorexia). Limb is packaged with a DVD featuring Clément Tuffreau's NYC Foetus documentary about Thirlwell's life in New York, along with several live performances of Thirlwell's ensembles and commissioned music.

Limb can refer to:

• Limb (anatomy), an appendage of a human or animal
• Limb Music, a record label
• Limb, in astronomy, the apparent border or edge of the disk of a celestial body ( star, planet, etc.), as in lunar limb, limb darkening, atmospheric limb sounding, etc. See also: horizon.
• Limb, a large or main branch of a tree
• Limb, in a measuring instrument, the graduated edge of a circle or arc
• Limb, in botany, the border or upper spreading part of a sympetallous corolla, or of a petal or sepal
• Limbs, in archery, the upper and lower working parts of the bow, also see recurve bow
• "Limbs", a song by Emma Pollock from her 2007 album Watch the Fireworks
• Limb in law: a limb constitutes a ground for appeal, an argument

A limb (from the Old English lim), or extremity, is a jointed, or prehensile (as octopus arms or new world monkey tails), appendage of the human or other animal body. In the human body, the upper and lower limbs are commonly called the arms and the legs.

Most animals use limbs for locomotion, such as walking, running, or climbing. Some animals can use their front limbs (or upper limbs in humans) to carry and manipulate objects. Some animals can also use hind limbs for manipulation.

Human legs and feet are specialized for two-legged locomotion – most other mammals walk and run on all four limbs. Human arms are weaker, but very mobile allowing us to reach at a wide range of distances and angles, and end in specialized hands capable of grasping and fine manipulation of objects.