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arm [1]  (arms plural ) (PART OF YOUR BODY OR OF SOMETHING ELSE) 
1  n-count Your arms are the two long parts of your body that are attached to your shoulders and that have your hands at the end. 
She stretched her arms out..., He had a large parcel under his left arm.  
2  n-count The arm of a piece of clothing is the part of it that covers your arm.  (=sleeve) 
3  n-count The arm of a chair is the part on which you rest your arm when you are sitting down. 
4  n-count An arm of  an object is a long thin part of it that sticks out from the main part. 
usu N of n 
...the lever arm of the machine., ...the arms of the doctor's spectacles.  
5  n-count An arm of  land or water is a long thin area of it that is joined to a broader area. 
usu N of n 
At the end of the other arm of Cardigan Bay is Bardsey Island.  
6  n-count An arm of  an organization is a section of it that operates in a particular country or that deals with a particular activity. 
usu sing, usu N of n  (=wing) 
Millicom Holdings is the British arm of an American company.  
7 If two people are walking arm in arm, they are walking together with their arms linked. 
♦ arm in arm  phrase usu v PHR, oft PHR with n 
He walked from the court arm in arm with his wife.  
8 If you say that something costs an arm and a leg, you mean that it is very expensive. 
INFORMAL 
♦ an arm and a leg  phrase PHR after v 
A week at a health farm can cost an arm and a leg.  
9 If you hold something at arm's length, you hold it away from your body with your arm straight. 
♦ at arm's length  phrase usu PHR after v 
He struck a match, and held it at arm's length.  
10 If you keep someone at arm's length, you avoid becoming too friendly or involved with them. 
♦ keep sb at arm's length  phrase V inflects 
She had always kept his family at arm's length.  
11 If you welcome some action or change with open arms, you are very pleased about it. If you welcome a person with open arms, you are very pleased about their arrival. 
♦ with open arms  phrase PHR after v  (approval)  They would no doubt welcome the action with open arms...  
12 If you twist someone's arm, you persuade them to do something. 
INFORMAL 
♦ twist sb's arm  phrase V and N inflect 
She had twisted his arm to get him to invite her.  

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"Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 4th edition published in 2003 © HarperCollins Publishers 1987, 1995, 2001, 2003 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"