akimbo

Formsakimbos, akimboing, akimboed

1. 1
   arms bent outadjective

   With your hands on your hips and your elbows pointing out to the sides.

   Your arms look like the handles on each side of a big pot.

   Mom stood in the kitchen with her arms akimbo and asked who broke the plate.

   The dancers put their hands akimbo and stepped to the left.

   UsagePut it after the noun, often after with: with her arms akimbo, hands akimbo.

2. 2
   legs spreadadjective

   With the legs spread and the knees bent out or at odd angles, sometimes with the feet touching.

   The little boy sat on the floor with his legs akimbo, pushing toy cars around.

   She slipped on the ice and landed on her back, legs akimbo.

   UsagePut akimbo after legs: She sat with her legs akimbo.

   Similarsplayed

   Note
3. 3
   adjective

   Sitting crooked or sticking out in odd directions, or more loosely, messy and out of order.

   His glasses sat akimbo on his nose after the nap.

   The wind left her hair all akimbo.

   UsagePut it after the noun: his hair was all akimbo.

   Similaraskew, crooked

   Note
4. 4
   two weaponsadverb

   Of weapons, especially guns: with one held in each hand.

   The cowboy in the movie walked into the room with two guns akimbo.

   The pirate jumped onto the deck, swords akimbo.

   UsagePut it after the weapon noun: two guns akimbo, pistols akimbo.

   Note
5. 5
   verbslangtransitive

   In video games, to hold and use two weapons, one in each hand.

   I always akimbo the small pistols in this game so I can shoot faster.

   He akimboed two shotguns and ran straight at the other team.

   UsagePut the weapons right after the verb: akimbo two pistols.

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