forearm

Pluralforearms

Formsforearms, forearming, forearmed

1. 1
   nouncountable

   The part of the arm between the elbow and the wrist.

   The nurse wrapped a clean bandage around his forearm.

   Tennis players often develop strong forearm muscles over time.

   Note

   The word is a plain compound of fore- and arm, and its neighbors build it the same way: Dutch voorarm, Danish forarm, German Vorderarm. Anatomically it is framed by two bones, the radius and the ulna, and it carries the muscles that move the hand and fingers. That is why anything that works the grip, from tennis to carrying, shows here first. In clinical writing it is distinguished from the upper arm, above the elbow.

2. 2
   verbfigurativelytransitive

   To equip or prepare oneself or another in advance to meet a difficulty or threat.

   Like a soldier sharpening a sword before the battle has even been declared.

   Reading the briefing forearmed the negotiators against every likely objection.

   Wise investors forearm themselves with knowledge before a market downturn.

   Similarprepare, arm, equip, prime, ready

   Note

   Here the arm inside the compound is the verb, not the limb, and fore- means "beforehand": arming ahead of time. It typically takes a reflexive object and the preposition against, and the armor is usually figurative. Peter Marris, in Widows and Their Families (2013), writes of people able to forearm themselves against the anxieties of bereavement. The past participle forearmed is the form most often met.

3. 3
   nouncountable

   A section of a firearm between the receiver and the muzzle, gripped to hold the weapon steady.

   The hunter steadied the rifle by gripping its forearm firmly.

   Aftermarket forearms can improve a shotgun's balance and handling.

   Similarfore-end, handguard

   Note

   A gunsmith's word for the forward part of a long gun's stock or handguard, sitting beneath the barrel ahead of the receiver. The shooter's supporting hand rests here while the other hand stays on the grip and trigger. The term overlaps with handguard and can be confused with it. Forearm names the place the hand holds, and it is used for rifles and shotguns alike.

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