Lewis & Short

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arma, ōrum, n. (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.].

  1. I. Lit.
  1. A.
    1. 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.
      1. 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,
    2. 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.
  2. 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.
        1. 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.
        2. 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.
  3. 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.