limb

英 [lɪm] 美 [lɪm]

n.肢体；枝干；树枝 vt.肢解

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◉Etymology

“Limn” 这个单词的词源可以追溯到古英语和古斯堪的纳维亚语中的 “lim”，意为 “树枝” 或 “肢体”。它在英语中演变为 “limb”，最初用来描述动物或人类的肢体部分，后来引申为树木的分支或其他物体的分支状部分。

◉Etymology

① Every mast of the ship swayed in the wind, as if its limbs were dancing on the sea.《纽约时报》 - 2023年9月

这艘船的每一根桅杆都在风中摇曳，仿佛是它的肢体在海上舞蹈。

② Each department of the company is a crucial component of the overall strategy, contributing like limbs of a body to the collective effort.CNN - 2023年12月

这家公司的每个部门都是整个战略的重要组成部分，如同身体的每一根肢体都为整体运动效果贡献力量。

◉Usage Examples

(1) Men and women have four limbs; two arms and two legs.

(2) He stood up and stretched his limbs.

(3) A grey squirrel is scampering from limb to limb.

(4) The workers saw off a limb from the tree.

(5) She sat on a limb of the tree and looked down.

(6) The falling tree limb left a big indent on his car.

(1) 人都有四肢，两只胳膊两条腿。

(2) 他站起来,伸了伸胳膊和腿。

(3) 一只灰色的松鼠在树枝间跳来跳去。

(4) 工人从树上锯下了一根大树枝。

(5) 她坐在一根大树枝上往下看。

(6) 掉下来的树枝在他的车上留下了一个大凹口。

◉Usage Notes

Willing to pay an arm and a leg for those World Series tickets? Then you're willing to give up two of your limbs for the season's biggest baseball games.

Arms, legs, wings, flippers — these are all examples of limbs. But we shouldn't leave out the trees. They've got plenty of large branches or limbs as well. In fact, when you expose yourself to potentially negative consequences in order to help someone else, it's called "going out on a limb" — like crawling out on a big tree branch. Not a flipper.

◉Colins

1. [N-COUNT 可数名词]肢；臂；腿 Your limbs are your arms and legs. [usu pl]

She would be able to stretch out her cramped limbs and rest for a few hours.

她将能伸展一下蜷缩的四肢，休息几个小时。

2. [N-COUNT 可数名词]树枝 The limbs of a tree are its branches. [LITERARY 文]

This entire rickety structure was hanging from the limb of an enormous leafy tree.

这整个快要散架的搭建物吊挂在一棵枝繁叶茂的大树的枝杈上。

3. [PHRASE 短语]冒着遭受失败（或指责）的风险；处于孤立无援的境地 If someone goes out on a limb, they do something they strongly believe in even though it is risky or extreme, and is likely to fail or be criticized by other people. [PHR after v]

They can see themselves going out on a limb, voting for a very controversial energy bill.

他们可以预见到要是给极具争议性的能源法案投赞成票，可能会陷入孤立。

4. [PHRASE 短语]撕裂…的肢体 If someone threatens to tear you limb from limb, they mean that they are extremely angry with you, and may use violence against you. [V inflects]

The police were lucky they found him before I did. I would have torn him limb from limb.

警察很幸运，比我先找到了他。不然我真会把他大卸八块的。