Forms: sing. 1–8 lim, 3–4 leome, leme, lime, 3–7 lym, 4–6 lyme, lymme, (5 leyme), 6–7 limme, limbe, 6– limb. pl. 1 limu, leomu, -o, -a, Northumb. lioma, 1–3 lime, (2 leoman), 2–3 limen, lemen, 3 leome(n, lumen, (lemman), leomes; also 2– regularly inflected in -s. [OE. lim str. neut. = ON. lim-r str. masc. (Sw., Da. lem):—OTeut. type *limo-; according to Kluge from a root *lĭ- in OTeut. *liþu- LITH sb.; cf. also Lith. lēmů (:—*loimen-) trunk, stature.]
1. Any organ or part of the body. Obs. exc. dial.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 274. Gif an lim bið untrum, ealle ða oðre ðrowiað mid þam anum.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2023. Naked o þat lime lai he þat man think mast scham to see.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xvi. 9. A man has na lym þat he is warere wiþ þan wiþ his eghe.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 195. We sighe … a mayde … i-torned into a man, and was i-berded anon, and anoon hadde alle lymes as a man schulde haue [L. barbamque et cetera virilia produxisse]. Ibid. (1398), Barth. De P. R., III. xvii. (Tollem. MS.). Þe lyme of syȝte [L. organum visus].
1484. Caxton, Fables of Poge, v. The lymmes of generacion were shewed manyfestly.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 166. Self is overspread in all the lims and faculties of thy body and soule.
1880. W. Cornw. Gloss., s.v. Limb, ‘Your daughter looks well.’ ‘No, she’s but slight; her face is her best limb.’
2. A part or member of an animal body distinct from the head or the trunk, e.g., a leg, arm, wing.
971. Blickl. Hom., 13. Þa clænan leomu þære halʓan fæmnan.
1154. O. E. Chron., an. 1137 (Laud MS.). [Hi] þrengde þe man þær inne ðet him bræcon alle þe limes.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 23. Þu sunegest mid summe of þisse limen ofter þenne þu scoldest.
c. 1205. Lay., 19501. Sa me scal lacnien his leomes þat beoð sare.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 252. Leomen buten liue.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 6/164. Þe strencþe him failede in is limes.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 139. His lyndes & his lymes so longe & so grete.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 385. Off lymmys he wes weill maid.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s Prol., 32. Oure old lemes mowe wel been vnweelde.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3762. A large man of lenght with limis full brode.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxviii. 21. My lymmys are heuy as any leede.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XXI. iii. He felle amonge the serpentys, & euery beest took hym by a lymme.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cxlii. Wks. (1876), 239. Beddes to refresshe theyr wery lymmes.
1558. G. Cavendish, Poems (1825), II. 80. The Earle of Surrey, In dewe proportion she [nature] wrought hathe every lyme [rhymes, tyme, clyme].
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, vi. (1887), 41. Their weake limmes and failing ioyntes.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., II. Disc. xiii. 163. He made crooked limmes become straight.
1747. Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), 37. This will stop the Bleeding of an amputated Limb without any Cautery.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, V. xx. His trembling limbs their aid refuse.
1872. Mivart, Elem. Anat., iv. 152. A vertebrate animal may exist without limbs, as we see … in most serpents.
fig. 1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 417. There is … no birde that flyeth with one winge, no loue that lasteth with one lym.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 728. Through the three Regions, Naturall, Vitall & Animal, we haue carried our Story … it followeth now that we prosecute our History vnto the Limmes.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., iv. 10. The very body of Antichristianism, with the distinct Limbs and Articulations thereof.
b. = LEG. Now only (esp. U.S.) in mock-modest or prudish use.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), lxvi. 175. Summe han here Armes or here Lymes alle to broken, and somme the sydes.
1508. Dunbar, Flyting w. Kennedie, 182. Thy hanchis hirklis, with hukebanis harth and haw, Thy laithly lymis ar lene as ony treis.
a. 1550[?]. in Dunbar’s Poems (1893), 316. The hingand brayis on adir syde Scho powtterit with hir lymmis wyde.
a. 1550. Christis Kirke Gr., iv. His lymis wer lyk two rokkis.
17[?]. Ramsay, Scribblers Lash’d, 116. If Nellie’s hoop be twice as wide As her two pretty limbs can stride.
1785. Burns, Jolly Beggars, 1st Air iv. I lastly was with Curtis, among the floating batt’ries, And there I left for witness an arm and a limb.
1837. J. S. Knowles, Love-Chase, II. i. Dram. Wks. 1856, II. 15.
| I’ll show a limb with any of them! Silks | |
| I’ll wear, nor keep my legs in cases more! |
1839. Marryat, Diary Amer., Ser. I. II. 245. I am not so particular as some people are, for I know those who always say limb of a table, or limb of a piano-forte.
1858. The Compiler (Gettysburg, PA), 19 July, 3/1 (Bartlett). The poor brute [a horse] … fell … and fracturing a limb, his death was rendered necessary.
1860. O. W. Holmes, Elsie V. (1861), I. vii. 140. ‘A bit of the wing, Roxy, or of the—under limb?’
† c. pl. The pieces of a suit of armor.
1651. Davenant, Gondibert, I. VI. xliv. Some, who once were steadfast foot,… snatch those limbs which only horsemen wore.
d. Phrases. Life and limb, † limb and lith, † limb and head, † limb and bone, limb and carcase, limb and wind, expressions intended to refer inclusively to all the bodily faculties employed in certain connections. † Limb and land, body or life and property. † Ilk(a) limb, ich a limb, used advb. in sense ‘in every limb, in every part of the body, all over.’ To tear or pull (one) limb from limb.
c. 1205. Lay., 702. Ȝe sculen habben lif & leomen [c. 1275 lime]. Ibid., 2817. He hehte hælden grið & frið vppe leome & vppe lif.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 24619. Sua lam in lime and lith.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2555. Als he louede leme or lif.
c. 1330. Roland & V., 493. He bi-held him ich a lim.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 81. Boþe his lyf and his leome was lost þorw my tonge.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg., 43. Saue þee harmelees, lyme & heed.
c. 1440. York Myst., xix. 2. Peyne of lyme and lande, Stente of youre steuenes stoute.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., v. 26. He is blyssyd, ich a lym.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., lxxvi. 62. He had pyte of hem and yaf hem lyf and lymme.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 132. That their lifes and lymmes should be saved.
1567. Satir. Poems Reform., xi. 23. Lym nor lyth I may not steir.
1584. Hudson, Du Bartas’ Judith, V. (1608), 71. That Duke whose name alone Hath made great warriours quake both lim and bone.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, Wks. 1883–4, V. 297. Hee will … tear him limbe from limbe, but hee will extract some capitall confession from him.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 120. Of able Body, sound of Limb and Wind.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. iii. (1840), 51. They pulled down … their houses, and pulled them … limb from limb.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, ii. The traveller … examined him in limb and carcass.
1888. Times (weekly ed.), 9 Nov., 16/2. Young men, strong of limb and wind.
3. In uses originally fig. (cf. MEMBER).
a. A member (e.g., of the church as ‘the body of Christ,’ of Christ, of Antichrist); a branch or section; an element or component part. Obs. exc. in nonce-uses, with distinct reference to a metaphorical ‘body.’
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 276. Ge … sindon Cristes lichama and leomu.
[c. 1200. Vices & Virtues (1888), 27. Hie sculen bien mine lemen, and ich here heaued.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 360. Nis God ure heaued, and we alle his limes?]
c. 1315. Shoreham, Poems (E.E.T.S.), 23. Ȝef þat þou art A lyme of holy cherche.
1340. Ayenb., 782. Þe kueades þet byeþ ine þise wordle þet byeþ þe lemes of anticrist.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 412. God haþ ordeyned dyuerse lemes of hooly chirche.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 62. Ye were the children of God, and lymme of the regne of God.
1547–64. Bauldwin, Mor. Philos. (Palfr.), 91. In the soules of men is ingenerate a limbe of science, which with the mixture of a terrestriall substance is darkened.
1550. Veron, Godly Sayings (1846), 19. His Christian brethren, whom he heareth alsoo to be the lymmes of Christ.
1565. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 402. Your Schoolemasters and you are a limme of Antichrist.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. LXVI. 1. All lands, the lymms of earthy round.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxviii. § 9. A part of the house of God, a limme of the visible church of Christ.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 115. The whole order thereof in euery part and limme set downe in His eternall wisedome and prouidence.
1666. Marvell, Corr., xxv. Wks. 1872–5, II. 61. So considerable a body in yourselves and so honourable a limb of the towne.
1679. Dryden, Troilus & Cr., Pref. b 3 b. Fletcher … was a Limb of Shakespear.
1773. Burke, Corr. (1844), I. 441. I never can forget that I am an Irishman … I think I would shed my blood, rather than see the limb I belong to oppressed.
1853. Kane, Grinnell Exp., ii. (1856), 22. Our little corps of officers … including that non-effective limb, the doctor.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1876), I. vi. 83. An army is but the limb of a nation.
b. † The devil’s or the fiend’s limb, limb of the devil, of Satan, of hell: an agent or scion of the evil one; an imp of Satan; hence, a mischievous wicked person (now dial.). † So also thieves’ limb.
971. Blickl. Hom., 33. Cuþ is þæt se awyrʓda gast is heafod ealra unrihtwisra dæda, swylce unrihtwise syndon deofles leomo.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 78/20. Zaroen and Arphaxat þat þe deueles limes were.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, iii. 1. Many, þat is, fendes & þe fendes lymmys, rises agayns me.
c. 1350. St. Mary Magd., 212, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1881), 83. A, lym of Satenas, þi sire!
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 109. Þe deuelis lyms maden discencion … aȝenst hem.
1434. Rolls of Parlt., V. 435. A disciple and lyme of the feende called the Pucelle.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 2763. Judas yt thevis lymme.
a. 1540. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 189/2. Such a vyllayne, and lymme of ye deuell.
1607. Hieron, Wks., I. 201. The gift of regeneration, which is that whereby a man, of a limme of Sathan, is made a member of Christ.
1645. Rutherford, Tryal & Tri. Faith (1845), 45. He hath made many black limbs of hell fair saints in heaven.
1660. Dickson, Job, x. Sel. Writ. (1845), I. 71. Ye may as well say, ‘I am naturally a devil’s limb.’
1833. J. S. Sands, Poems, Ser. I. 86 (E.D.D.). Divide my game, ye devil’s limbs!
c. Hence limb alone is used for: A mischievous person (now applied mostly to children); a young imp or rascal. colloq.
1625. B. Jonson, Staple of N., III. Intermeane (1631), 49. I had it from my maid Joane Heare-say: shee had it from a limbe o’ the schoole, shee saies, a little limbe of nine yeere old.
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., Limb,… sometimes ’tis a Term of Reproach, signifying a Scold, or very turbulent Woman.
1760. Foote, Minor, II. Wks. 1799, I. 269. Ah, Foote’s a precious limb! Old Nick will soon a football make of him!
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xxii. Now listen, you young limb.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xx. ‘See there!… don’t that show she’s a limb?’
1862. Calverley, Verses & Transl., 7. He was what nurses call a ‘limb.’
d. Limb of the law: a derisive name for a legal functionary of any kind, e.g., a lawyer, a police officer, Also occas. Limb of the bar: a barrister.
1730. Portland Papers (Hist. MSS. Comm.), VI. 35. He is a Limb of the Law and will be over here [at York] at our Assizes.
1753. School of Man, 149. There’s another Limb of the Law starting from his Bed to peruse a Case recommended to him by some Great One.
1770. Foote, Lame Lover, III. Wks. 1799, II. 92. Well said, my young limb of the law.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, I. v. ¶ 7. A limb of the law, who had hitherto taken us under his protection.
1815. W. H. Ireland, Scribbleomania, 260. As a limb of the Bar, I with honour renown ’em.
† e. applied to things. Obs.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., III. pr. x. 64. What tho’ all these good thinges, sufficiency, powre, all be but lyms of blissidnes.
1640. New Serm. of newest fashion (1877), 37. That Heathenish Structure the lim of Idolatry Cheapside Crosse.
1661. Merry Drollery, I. 2. But she a Babe of grace … Thought kissing a disgrace A Limbe of prophanation In that place.
4. Transferred senses.
a. A main branch of a tree.
Beowulf, 97 (Gr.). Se ælmihtiʓa … ʓefrætwade foldan sceatas leomum and leafum.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. lxxxiii. 764. His [the cedar’s] limmes and branches be long and stretched out.
1664. Evelyn, Kal. Hort., Jan. (1706), 5. In taking off an whole Branch or Limb, cut close to the Stem.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xx. (1840), 354. A large limb of the tree.
1863. Woolner, My Beautiful Lady, 114. Giant shadows trenched the frosty ground From bole and limb.
1879. Jefferies, Wild Life in S. Co., 271. Elms are often stripped … to make the timber … free from the great branches called ‘limbs.’
b. In various uses, chiefly of material things and more or less technical: A projecting section of a building, e.g., the outworks of a castle; one of the four branches composing a cross; a member or clause of a sentence, or the like; a spur of a mountain range; one of the pieces that compose the lock of a gun.
1577. Holinshed, Chron., I. Hist. Scot., 477/1. They wanne the lims of the house vpon them, forcing the capitayne … to retire within the dongeon. Ibid. (1577–87), III. 593/1. After that all the lymmes of the Castell had beene reuersed and throwne downe, they kept the maister Tower.
1609. Hieron, Wks., I. 411. Now followeth that limme of the prayer, which concernes the man.
1612. Webster, White Devil, I 3 b. I haue heard you say, giuing my brother sucke, Hee tooke the Crucifix betweene his hands, And broke a limbe off.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 97. A carpenter’s square, having a spirit-level fixed upon one of its Limbs.
1810. Scott, Lady of L., III. viii. A slender crosslet … The shaft and limbs were rods of yew.
1832. J. Hodgson, in Raine, Mem. (1858), II. 258. The outer gateway and court which stood on the most northerly limb of the hill.
1858. Hawthorne, Fr. & It. Jrnls. (1872), I. 20. There is a spiral stair-case within one of its [an arch’s] immense limbs.
1859. Musketry Instruct., III. 11. Name the limbs of the lock, and the other principal parts of the rifle.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1876), I. xv. 355. In another limb of the same sentence.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. x. 515. A short eastern limb, ending in an apse, contained the high altar.
1898. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., V. 845. So great an increase of arterial pressure as to rupture a limb of the aortic valve.
† c. [trans. med.L. membrum.] An estate, etc., dependent on another. Obs.
[1442. in Madox, Formul. Anglic. (1702), 147. Manerium de Raskell cum omnibus suis membris & pertinenciis suis.]
1605–47. Habington, Surv. Worcs., in Worcs. Hist. Soc. Proc., III. 403. Thys chappell is a lym of Suckley, havinge neyther buryall nor Armes. Ibid., 405. Escelie, Wolscote and Wolaston are but lyms of the Manor of Swineford.
5. attrib. and Comb., as limb arch, -bone, -ease, -muscle, -nerve, vessel; limb-numbing, -strewn adjs.; † limb-broken a., affected with hernia, ruptured; limb-girdle Anat. (see GIRDLE sb.1 4 b); limb-guard, defensive armor for the arm or leg; limb-length advb. phr., with limbs stretched out to their full length; † limb-lifter, a fornicator; † limb-take a., crippled. Also LIMB-MEAL.
1883. Martin & Moale, Vertebr. Dissect., 102. The general arrangement of the skeleton; its … *limb arches and limbs.
1854. Owen, Skel. & Teeth (1855), 6. The strength and lightness of the *limb-bones.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xix. (Tollem. MS.). It heleþ hem at þe beste þat beþ *lyme broke [ed. 1535 limme broken L. herniosis].
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, I. i. 6. Longing for *limb-ease, and tooth motion.
1870. Rolleston, Anim. Life, 33. Possessed of no functional limbs nor *limb-girdles.
1869. Boutell, Arms & Arm., viii. (1874), 125. At this time [c. 1350] the *limb-guards were made to enclose the limbs within back and front pieces, hinged and buckled together.
1873. Symonds, Grk. Poets, vii. 211. Where the Bacchantes lie *limb-length beneath the silver-firs.
1579. Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 33. Better might they say them selues to be … perfect *Limme lifters for teaching the trickes of euery strumpet.
1608. Middleton, Fam. Love, V. iii. Abroad thou’rt like a stone horse, you old limb lifter.
1611. Florio, Leuante,… a lim-lifter, an vp-taker, a bold pilfrer.
1898. P. Manson, Trop. Diseases, xiv. 231. Atrophied *limb-muscles.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., III. 309. The sweat-nerves, although ultimately in the *limb-nerves, do not leave the cervical or lumbar regions of the cord in the anterior roots of these nerves.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. III. Furies, 173. The stifning Carpese, th’eyes-foe Hemlock stinking, *Limb-numming belching, and the sinew-shrinking Dead laughing Apium.
1813. Shelley, Q. Mab, V. 101. Amid the horrors of the *limb-strewn field.
1519. Horman, Vulg., 106. Brute beestis cherisshe vp theyr kynde: though they be *lymtake, or be nummed.
1898. J. Hutchinson, Archives Surg., IX. 333. All the larger *limb-vessels must also be simultaneously affected.
