noun · neutersecond declension
arma1
arma n pl (genitive armōrum)
Classical[ˈar.ma]Ecclesiastical[ˈar.ma]
№ 98 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- neuterpluralplural onlyarms, weapons of war, weaponry, instruments (implements of warfare)
[…]: mulis strata detrahi iubet binisque tantum centunculis relictis agasones partim captivis, partim aegrorum armis ornatos imponit.
[…] : he orders the mules to be stripped off their saddles and, leaving them only some two small pieces of patchwork to be sat on, be mounted with their muleteers carrying weapons taken from either the prisoners or the sick.27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 7.14mūnīre urbem, frūmentum convehere, tēla arma parāre
to strengthen the defences of the city, to accumulate stores of corn, to prepare a supply of missiles and arms27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita 29.4.2.3 - neuterpluralplural onlydefensive arms: armour, shields (etc.)
- neuterpluralplural onlyclose-quarter weapons (offensive or defensive)
- neuterpluralplural onlypoeticmissile weapons
- metonymicallyneuterpluralplural onlymilitary action, war (arms as instruments of policy)
- abstractconcreteneuterpluralplural onlywarfare, battle (military exploits)
[...] nōn arma iuventūs / exercet, [...].
… nor do young [soldiers] practice their military drills, …. (Carthage becomes vulnerable once its youth stop training for combat; figuratively, the queen has lowered her own defenses.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.86-87 - metonymicallyneuterpluralplural onlytroops, military forces, the army
- neuterpluralplural onlyweapons as means of defence
- broadlyneuterpluralplural onlytools, equipment
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
omnia quibus mīles pugnat et sē tegit: gladius, scūtum, galea.arma -ōrum n pl — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma
weapons, armsarma -ōrum (n pl) — in De Bello Gallico II
weapons, armor
arma -ōrum — in Viri Romae Facillimi, ch. 1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 23, 24
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | — | arma |
| genitive | — | armōrum |
| dative | — | armīs |
| accusative | — | arma |
| ablative | — | armīs |
| vocative | — | arma |
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- vi et armis
- by force of arms.
- arma abicere
- to throw away one's arms.
- arma tradere
- to surrender weapons.
- in armis esse
- to be under arms.
- res ad arma venit
- matters have reached the fighting-stage.
- ad arma concurrere
- to rush to arms.
- arma capere, sumere
- to take up one's arms.
- exercitatus in armis
- practised in arms.
16 more phrases
- decurrere (in armis)
- to manœuvre.
- omnes ad arma convocare
- to issue a general call to arms.
- res spectat ad vim (arma)
- there seems a prospect of armed violence; things look like violence.
- extorquere arma e manibus
- to wrest weapons from some one's hands.
- arma ponere (not deponere)
- to pile arms (cf. sect. XII. 3, note vestem deponere...).
- bellum or arma ultro inferre
- to be the aggressor in a war; to act on the offensive.
- acie (armis, ferro) decernere
- to fight a pitched battle.
- armis (castris) exuere aliquem
- to disarm a person.
- ad arma conclamare (Liv. 3. 50)
- to call to arms.
- arma expedire (Tusc. 2. 16. 37)
- to make ready for battle.
- ab armis discedere (Phil. 11. 33)
- to lay down arms.
- qui arma ferre possunt or iuventus
- men of military age.
- proelio, armis decertare (B. G. 1. 50)
- to fight a decisive battle.
- copias (arma) cum aliquo iungere or se cum aliquo iungere
- to join forces with some one.
- ad vim et arma descendere (vid. sect. V. 9, note Similarly...)
- to have recourse to force of arms.
- qui per aetatem arma ferre non possunt or aetate ad bellum inutiles
- men exempt from service owing to age.
arma, ōrum, n. (
I. gen. plur. armūm, Pac. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155; Att. ap. Non. p. 495, 23, considered by Cic. in the connection armūm judicium as less correct than armorum) [cf. ΑΡΩ, ἀραρίσκω = to fit; ἄρθρον = joint; ἁρμός = armus = joint, shoulder; ἀρτάω = artio, arto = to fit, to fit in closely; ἄρτιος = fit, exact; artus = close, narrow; ars (artis) = the craft of fitting things; artifex, artificium; Goth. arms = O. H. Germ. aram = Engl. arm; Sanscr. ar = to hit upon, attain; aram = fit, fast; īrmas = arm. Curt.].
I. Lit.
A. 1.. What is fitted to the body for its protection, defensive armor, as the shield, coat of mail, helmet, etc.:
tot milia armorum, detracta corporibus hostium, Liv. 45, 39: induere arma, id. 30, 31: arma his imperata, galea, clipeum, ocreae, lorica, omnia ex aere, id. 1, 43: pictis et auro caelatis refulgens armis, id. 7, 10. —2. Specifically, a shield:
at Lausum socii exanimem super arma ferebant, on a shield, Verg. A. 10, 841: caelestia arma, quae ancilia appellantur, Liv. 1, 20 (v. ancile); id. 8, 30; 1, 37; cf. Verg. A. 1, 119 Heyne; Tac. G. 11 Rup.; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 43: Aeneas se collegit in arma, gathered himself under his shield, Verg. A. 12, 491.—Hence, in a more extended sense, B. Implements of war, arms, both of defence and offence (but of the latter only those which are used in close contest, such as the sword, axe, club; in distinction from tela, which are used in contest at a distance; hence, arma and tela are often contrasted; v. the foll., and cf. Bremi and Dähne ad Nep. Dat. 11, 3): arma rigent, horrescunt tela, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4; id. ap. Non. p. 469, 26:
arma alia ad tegendum, alia ad nocendum, Cic. Caec. 21: armis condicione positis aut defetigatione abjectis aut victoriā detractis, id. Fam. 6, 2: illum dicis cum armis aureis, Quoius etc., Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 16: ibi Simul rem et gloriam armis belli repperi, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 60: arma antiqua manus, ungues dentesque fuerunt Et lapides, et item, silvarum fragmina, ramei, Lucr. 5, 1283; so, Mutum et turpe pecus (i. e. primeval man), glandem et cubilia propter Unguibus et pugnis, dein fustibus, atque ita porro Pugnabant armis, quae post fabricaverat usus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 100 sqq.: capere, Cic. Rosc. Am. 53, 153; id. Phil. 4, 3, 7; id. Rab. Perd. 6 and 7: sumere, id. Planc. 36, 88 Wund.; id. Tusc. 2, 24, 58; Vulg. Gen. 27, 3; ib. 3 Reg. 22, 30: accipere, ib. Judith, 14, 2: adprehendere, ib. Psa. 34, 2: resumere, Suet. Calig. 48: aptare, Liv. 5, 49: induere, id. 30, 31; Ov. M. 14, 798; id. F. 1, 521; Verg. A. 11, 83; Luc. 1, 126: accingi armis, Verg. A. 6, 184, and Vulg. Jud. 18, 11: armis instructus, ib. Deut. 1, 41; ib. 1 Par. 12, 13: concitare ad arma, Caes. B. G. 7, 42: descendere ad arma, id. ib. 7, 33: vocare ad arma, Cic. Rab. Perd. 7, 21: vocare in arma, Verg. A. 9, 22: ferre contra aliquem, Vell. 2, 56: decernere armis, Cic. Att. 7, 3: armis cum hoste certare, id. Off. 3, 22, 87; so, saevis armis, Verg. A. 12, 890: dimicare armis cum aliquo, Nep. Milt. 1, 2: esse in armis, Caes. B. G. 1, 49; Suet. Caes. 69: ponere, abicere, Cic. Fam. 6, 2: relinquere, Liv. 2, 10: tradere, Nep. Ham. 1, 5; Suet. Vit. 10: amittere, Verg. A. 1, 474: proicere, Vulg. 1 Macc. 5, 43; 7, 44: deripere militibus, Hor. C. 3, 5, 19: dirimere, Luc. 1, 104 et saep.—Hence, arma virosque, per arma, per viros, etc., Liv. 8, 25; 8, 30 al.; v. Burm. ad Verg. A. 1, 1, and cf. Liv. 9, 24: tela et arma: armorum atque telorum portationes, Sall. C. 42, 2; Liv. 1, 25; Col. 12, 3; Tac. G. 29 and 33: armis et castris, prov. (like remis velisque, viris equisque), with vigor, with might and main, Cic. Off. 2, 24, 84.—II. Trop., means of protection, defence, weapons:
tenere semper arma (sc. eloquentiae), quibus vel tectus ipse esse possis, vel, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 8, 32: prudentiae, id. ib. 1, 38, 172: senectutis, id. Lael. 4. 9: tectus Vulcaniis armis, id est fortitudine, id. Tusc. 2, 14, 33: eloquentiae, Quint. 5, 12, 21: facundiae, id. 2, 16, 10: justitiae, Vulg. Rom. 6, 13; ib. 2 Cor. 6, 7: arma lucis, ib. Rom. 13, 12: horriferum contra Borean ovis arma ministret, i. e. lanas, Ov. M. 15, 471: haec mihi Stertinius arma (i. e. praecepta) dedit, Hor. S. 2, 3, 297; cf. id. Ep. 1, 16, 67: arma militiae nostrae non carnalia sunt, Vulg. 2 Cor. 10, 4. a. War (once in opp. to pax, v. infra):
silent leges inter arma, Cic. Mil. 4, 10; id. Att. 7, 3, 5: arma civilia, civil war, id. Fam. 2, 16, and Tac. A. 1, 9: civilia arma, id. Agr. 16; id. G. 37 (otherwise, bella civilia, Cic. Off. 1, 25, 86, and Tac. Agr. 13): ab externis armis otium erat, Liv. 3, 14; 9, 1; 3, 69 Drak.; 9, 32; 42, 2; Tac. H. 2, 1 al.: a Rubro Mari arma conatus sit inferre Italiae, Nep. Hann. 2, 1 (for which more freq. bellum inferre alicui, v. infero): ad horrida promptior arma, Ov. M. 1, 126: qui fera nuntiet arma, id. ib. 5, 4; 14, 479: compositis venerantur armis, Hor. C. 4, 14, 52. So the beginning of the Æneid: Arma virumque cano; cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 7: melius visum Gallos novam gentem pace potius cognosci quam armis, Liv. 5, 35 fin.; cf.: cedant arma togae, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 76.—Also for battle, contest: in arma feror, Verg. A. 2, 337; so id. ib. 2, 655.—b. (Abstr. for concr.) The warriors themselves, soldiers, troops:
nulla usquam apparuerunt arma, Liv. 41, 12: nostro supplicio liberemus Romana arma, i. e. Romanum exercitum, id. 9, 9; 21, 26: Hispanias armis non ita redundare, Tac. H. 2, 32: expertem frustra belli et neutra arma secutum, neither party, Ov. M. 5, 91: auxiliaria arma, auxiliaries, auxiliary troops = auxiliares (v. auxiliaris, I.), id. ib. 6, 424; cf. id. ib. 14, 528.—III. Transf., poet. (like ὅπλον and ἔντεα in Gr.), implements, instruments, tools, utensils, in gen. Of implements for grinding and baking:
Cerealia arma, the arms of Ceres, Verg. A. 1, 177 (cf. Hom. Od. 7, 232: ἔντεα δαιτός). —Of implements of agriculture, Ov. M. 11, 35: dicendum est, quae sint duris agrestibus arma, Quīs sine nec potuere seri nec surgere messes, Verg. G. 1, 160.—Of the equipments, tackle of a ship (mast, sails, rudder, etc.): colligere arma jubet validisque incumbere remis, Verg. A. 5, 15; 6, 353.—Hence used by Ovid for wings: haec umeris arma parata suis, A. A. 2, 50 (cf. in the foll. verse: his patria est adeunda carinis).—And so of other instruments, Mart. 14, 36.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
arma ōrum, n
1 AR-, implements, outfit, instruments, tools: cerealia, for making bread, V.: (coloni) operis, O.: omne genus: armorum, Cs.: Conligere arma iubet, the ship's tackle, V.—Armor fitted to the body, defensive armor (the shield, coat of mail, helmet, etc.): arma his imperata, galea, clipeum, ocreae, lorica, omnia ex aere, L.: auro caelata, L.: Lausum super arma ferre, on his shield, V.: caelestia, quae ancilia appellantur, L.: se collegit in arma, covered with his shield, V. — In gen., implements of war, arms, weapons: alia ad tegendum, alia ad nocendum: belli, T.: pugnis, dein ... Pugnabant armis, H.: arma capere: ferre posse, Cs.: aptare, L.: induere, O.: armis accingi, V.: vocare ad arma: ad arma concurri, Cs.: armis uti: in armis esse, under arms, Cs.: cum alquo armis dimicare, N.: deponere, Cs.: amittere, V.: deripere militibus, H.: ad bellum polliceri, L.: armorum atque telorum portationes, S. — Fig., means of protection, defence, weapons: prudentiae: mihi Stertinius arma (i. e. praecepta) dedit, H.: contra Borean, i. e. covering, O.: quaerere conscius arma, i. e. ways of attacking me, V.: silent leges inter arma, in war: cedant arma togae: externa erat, foreign, L.: civilia, Ta.: inferre Italiae, N.: ad horrida promptior arma, O.: compositis armis, H.: Arma virumque cano, V.: in arma feror, battle, V.—A side, party in war: isdem in armis fui.—Soldiers, troops: nostro supplicio liberemus Romana arma, L.: machina Feta armis, V.: auxiliaria, auxiliary troops, O.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂er-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂(e)rmos
- Latinarma
Proto-Italic *armosder. Latin arma From Proto-Indo-European *h₂(e)rmos (“fitting”), from the root *h₂er- (“to join”). armentum is an independent derivation from the same root, as if from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er-mn̥-tom. Cognates include Sanskrit ऋत (ṛtá, “order; right; agreement etc.”) and अरम् (áram, “fitting”), Ancient Greek ἀραρίσκω (ararískō, “to fit together”) and Old Armenian արարի (arari, “I made”). Semantic development was "that what is fitted together" → "tools" → "weapons". Also related to ars, artus, rītus.