forearm
forearm Lexical Profile
forearm Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The part of a person's arm extending from the elbow to the wrist, or the corresponding section of the forelimb in a four-legged vertebrate.
"The physical therapist massaged the strained muscles along the athlete's right forearm."
• verb
To arm, equip, or prepare in advance for a future difficulty, conflict, or challenge.
"Reviewing the legal precedents will forearm the defense team against unexpected arguments in court."
Word Nuance & Usage
The noun and verb senses of 'forearm' are homographs derived from two distinct roots: the anatomical noun combines 'fore-' (front) with 'arm' (the limb) and is stressed on the first syllable, whereas the verb combines 'fore-' (beforehand) with 'arm' (to equip with weapons) and is stressed on the second syllable, most famously appearing in the proverb 'forewarned is forearmed.'
Word Origin & Etymology
The anatomical noun was formed in the mid-18th century from 'fore-' (in front) and the Old English noun 'earm' (upper limb). The verb dates earlier to the 16th century, combining 'fore-' (beforehand) with the verb 'arm' (from Old French 'armer' and Latin 'armare', meaning to equip with weapons).