limbs
limbs — noun
- limbssingular
- limbsesplural
1. any of the arms or legs on a human or animal body, which extend from the torso a
any of the arms or legs on a human or animal body, which extend from the torso and are used for moving, grasping, and other physical activities.
Meera broke her left arm in a basketball game and needed surgery on the limb.
singular: 'the limb' for one arm or leg
Tariq stretched his arms and legs before the race to keep his limbs warm.
collocation: keep one's limbs warm / loose
Elena stood up slowly to let blood circulate back into her numb limbs.
Kenji lifted weights twice a week to make his upper limbs stronger.
Hannah's grandmother has arthritis that makes it hard to move her limbs in cold weather.
文法句型
one's + limbs
limb (singular) for a single arm or leg
用法筆記
Frequently used in the plural form 'limbs' when referring to all arms and legs together. The singular 'limb' is used when talking about one specific arm or leg. In medical and anatomical writing, 'upper limbs' means arms and hands, while 'lower limbs' means legs and feet.
常見錯誤
2. a large main branch growing out from the trunk of a tree, typically one that is
a large main branch growing out from the trunk of a tree, typically one that is thick enough to support weight or be cut into timber.
Liam cut a thick limb from the oak tree and used it for winter firewood.
collocation: thick limb
Fatima climbed onto a low limb of the mango tree to reach the ripest fruit.
collocation: low limb
Nadia and her brother built a treehouse on two strong limbs of the old maple.
Oliver hung a tyre swing from a sturdy limb for the kids.
Zara watched the gardener prune the lower tree limbs so light reached the grass below.
文法句型
limb + of + tree
tree limb
limb on a tree
用法筆記
A 'limb' is larger than a twig or small branch — it is a primary division of the trunk. For everyday small branches, use 'branch' or 'twig' instead. This sense is common in gardening, forestry, and nature writing.
常見錯誤
limbs — verb
- limbspresent simple I / you / we / they
- limbses3rd person singular
- limbsing-ing form
- limbsedpast simple
1. to cut off the arms, legs, or other appendages from a person or animal's body, e
to cut off the arms, legs, or other appendages from a person or animal's body, especially as a method of killing, punishment, or disposal.
Alice studied how ancient armies limbed enemy soldiers as a brutal punishment.
Emma read in her forensic textbook how criminals sometimes limb victims to hide their identity.
passive/infinitive: 'limb victims to make...' — purpose clause
The rebel prisoner was limbed by the king's soldiers as a warning to other villagers who might fight back.
Archaeologists found evidence that the tribe limbed their dead enemies before burying them.
文法句型
limb + object (person or animal)
用法筆記
This sense is rare in modern everyday English and appears mostly in forensic, historical, or archaeological writing. In ordinary conversation, 'cut off the limbs of' or 'dismember' is far more common. The verb 'limb' in this sense carries a strong violent connotation.
2. the action of removing the side branches from a tree that has already been felle
the action of removing the side branches from a tree that has already been felled, leaving the trunk ready for transport or for cutting into timber.
Sofia watched the loggers limb the fallen pine before loading the trunk onto the truck.
object: 'the fallen pine' (felled tree)
Gabriel learned to limb a felled tree during his first week at the forestry camp.
collocation: limb a felled tree
Clara used a chainsaw to limb the large spruce after the storm brought it down.
James limbed the oak tree before cutting the trunk into smaller logs for firewood.
文法句型
limb + object (felled tree or log)
用法筆記
This sense is specific to forestry and logging — it only applies to trees that have already been felled. For trimming branches on a standing tree, use 'prune' or 'trim' instead.