ENGLISH
REFERENCE

limb

n. · v.
US //ˈɫɪm// UK //lˈɪm// limb
  1. 1 arm or leg (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    an arm or a leg of a person, or a similar part of an animal like a wing.

    a major functional appendage of a human or animal body used for movement or manipulation.

    Example

    The athlete stretched every limb before starting the long race.

    Example

    The surgeon worked meticulously to restore blood flow to the injured limb, hoping to avoid permanent nerve damage.
  2. 2 tree branch (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Botany

    a large, main branch of a tree.

    a primary structural branch of a tree, extending from the main trunk.

    Example

    The heavy snow caused a large limb of the oak tree to snap.

    Example

    Arborists recommend removing dead limbs during the winter to prevent them from falling and causing property damage during spring storms.
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  1. 3 edge of a planet or star (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Astronomy

    the outer edge of the disk of a planet, moon, or star as seen from a distance.

    the apparent visual edge of the disk of a celestial body.

    Example

    The telescope captured a beautiful glow around the western limb of the moon.

    Example

    Solar flares are often most visible when they occur near the sun's limb, appearing as bright loops against the darkness of space.
  2. 4 part of a flower petal (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Botany

    the flat, spreading part of a flower petal or leaf.

    the border or upper spreading part of a petal, sepal, or monopetalous corolla.

    Example

    The flower has a narrow base that opens into a wide, colourful limb.

    Example

    The botanical illustration clearly distinguished between the narrow claw and the broad, serrated limb of the individual petals.
  3. 5 to remove branches (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical

    to cut the branches off a tree that has been fallen.

    to remove the limbs or branches from a tree or animal carcass.

    Example

    The workers had to limb the fallen pine before they could move the trunk.

    Example

    After the storm, the cleanup crew spent hours limbing the downed timber to clear the primary access roads for emergency vehicles.

    Usage

    The verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
Etymology 1

From Middle English lyme, lim, from Old English lim (“limb, branch”), from Proto-West Germanic limu, from Proto-Germanic limuz (“branch, limb”). Cognate with Old Norse limr (“limb”). The spelling with the silent unetymological -b first arose in the late 1500s. Compare crumb.

Etymology 2

From Latin limbus (“border”).

Idioms1 entry

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