Arles, ärlz, or ārlz, n. earnest money given in confirmation of a bargain, or of the engagement of a servant.—ns. Arle′-pen′ny, Arles′-pen′ny. [Scot. and northern Eng.; M. E. erles—O. Fr. erres (mod. Fr. arrhes)—L. arrha.]
Arm, ärm, n. the limb extending from the shoulder to the hand: anything projecting from the main body, as an inlet of the sea, a rail or support from a chair, sofa, or the like: one of the branches into which a main trunk divides: (fig.) power.—ns. Arm′-chair, a chair with arms; Arm′ful; Arm′-hole, the hole in a garment through which the arm is put.—adv. Arm′-in-arm, with arms interlinked, in close communion.—adj. Arm′less.—ns. Arm′let, a bracelet; Arm′-pit, the pit or hollow under the shoulder.—At arm's length, away from any friendliness or familiarity.—Right arm, the main support or assistant; Secular arm, the secular or temporal authority, as distinguished from the spiritual or ecclesiastical.—With open arms, with hearty welcome. [A.S.; cog. with L. armus, the shoulder-joint, Gr. harmos, a joint.]
Arm, ärm, n. a weapon: a branch of the military service:—pl. Arms, weapons of offence and defence: war, hostilities: deeds or exploits of war: armorial ensigns.—v.t. Arm, to furnish with arms or weapons: to fortify.—v.i. to take arms.—n. Ar′mature, armour: any apparatus for defence: a piece of iron connecting the poles of a bent magnet.—adj. Armed (ärmd, or arm′ed), furnished with arms: provided with means of defence: (bot.) having prickles or thorns: (her.) having part of the body different in colour from the rest, as a beak, claws, &c. of a bird.—n.pl. Fire′arms, such weapons as employ gunpowder, as guns and pistols.—n. Man′-at-arms, a fully equipped and practised fighting man.—n.pl. Small′-arms, such as do not require carriages, as opposed to artillery.—Armed to the teeth, completely armed.—College of Arms, the Heralds' College, which grants armorial bearings.—In arms with, quartered with; Of all arms, of every kind of troops; Stand of arms, a complete equipment of arms for one soldier.—The armed eye, strengthened with a magnifying-glass, as opp. to naked eye.—To lay down arms, to surrender or submit; Up in arms, in readiness to fight. [Through Fr. from L. arma; cog. with Arm.]
Armada, ärm-ā′da, n. a fleet of armed ships, esp. the self-styled Invincible Armada sent by Philip II. against England in 1588. [Sp.—L. armata, armare, to arm.]
Armadillo, ärm-a-dil′o, n. a small American edentate quadruped, having its body armed with bands of bony plates:—pl. Armadill′os. [Sp., dim. of armado, armed.]
Armageddon, är-mag-ed′on, n. the great symbolical battlefield of the Apocalypse, in which the final struggle between the powers of good and evil is to be fought out. [The name was no doubt suggested by the famous battlefield of Megiddo, in the plain of Esdraelon.]
Armament, ärm′a-ment, n. forces armed or equipped for war: munitions of war, esp. the great guns with which a ship is armed. [L. armamenta—arma.]
Armenian, ar-mē′ni-an, adj. belonging to Armenia, in Western Asia: belonging to the Armenian branch of the Christian Church.—n. a native of Armenia.
Armet, är′met, n. a helmet introduced about 1450 in place of the basinet, consisting of an iron cap, spreading over the back of the neck, having in front the visor, beaver, and gorget. [Fr.]
Armgaunt, ärm′gänt, adj. (Shak. once, Ant. and Cleop. I. v. 48), with gaunt limbs (?). The word has not been satisfactorily explained, and is most likely an error.