in arms
Cradled against chest
In arms describes carrying weapons or being ready for combat: a call to arms, comrades in arms.
The phrase appears in up in arms, meaning angrily protesting or fiercely opposed: The neighborhood was up in arms about the proposed development.
A babe or child in arms is young enough to be carried—a different sense entirely, where arms means the body parts.
- weaponsTools for fighting
- embraceHold closely in arms
- protestPublic expression of disapproval
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
- revoltOrganized resistance to power
rebellion · soldiers · comrades · brothers · cradled · baby · infant · held · military · fighting · combat · resistance · struggle · defiant · rallying · muskets · rifles · battle
in armsstanding alone
Unaccompanied and apart
on foot · walking · self-supporting · on the ground · set down
in armsunarmed
Having no weapons
disarmed · at peace · demobilized · standing down · pacified
in, arm, arms, armed, arming, armament, armaments, armor, armory