[a. F. arme-r:—L. armā-re, f. arma: see ARM sb.2]
1. lit. To furnish with arms defensive or offensive. In early use, chiefly, To cover (a man or horse) with armor or mail; now, To provide (a man, garrison, stronghold, ship, etc.) with weapons.
c. 1205. Lay., 15313. [He] lette ærmi his cnihtes. Ibid. (1250), 8655. Ac armede his cnihtes.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 5937. On hors y-armed and well atired.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, VII. 3197. Þai armyt hom at all peces, abill to werre.
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., xxiv. Quen thou art armut in thi gere, Take thi schild and thi spere.
1611. Bible, Gen. xiv. 14. He armed [Coverdale, harnessed] his trained seruants.
1716. Lond. Gaz., mmmmmccccxc/2. Stores for Rigging and Arming another Man of War.
1771. Junius Lett., lix. 308. The only case in which the king can have a right to arm his subjects in general.
1847. Gleig, Waterloo, 280. To arm the whole population of the country, and fight to the last extremity.
b. in Falconry, etc.
1575. Turberville, Falconrie, 161. When he hath armed or cased the hearons tronke with a cane or reed.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., III. vii. 250. The arming their [fighting cocks’] heels with sharp points of steel is a cruelty.
† c. To arm out (a ship): to fit out with arms. (Also intr. for refl.: see 4.) Obs.
1670. Marvell, Corr., 152. Wks. 1875, II. 334. That he must … arme out fifty great ships the next Spring.
1687. Lond. Gaz., mmccc/5. Three Gallies … and several low Boats that arm out in the Sumner.
2. Hence, in many transferred and fig. uses; as: To arm (a person) a. with requisite tools or appliances for any work; b. with qualities, attributes, offensive or defensive.
1340. Ayenb., 180. Þet hauberk of penonce huermide God armeþ his newe knyȝt.
a. 1586. Sidney, Sonn., in Arb., Garner, II. 170. Armed with beauty.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., I. vi. 19. Arme me, Audacitie, from head to foote!
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 52. To arme your minde with patience of proofe.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 113, ¶ 4. She will arm herself with her real Charms, and strike you with Admiration.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 12. 88. Each of us was … armed with his own axe.
c. (an animal) with natural organs of offence or defence.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 30. Being armed with teeth on both sides, like a saw.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., I. 2. Nature having armed him [the Flea] thus Cap-a-pe.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 121, ¶ 2. A Creature so armed for Battle and Assault as the Lion.
1815. Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (1843), I. 336. Three or four similar but smaller aculei arm the head.
d. (a thing) with appendages requisite or effective, or with any preparation fitting it for work.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), K k b. They haue aredyed the mylle, and armed it with stones of encreace.
1653. Walton, Angler, 110. First you must arm your hook.
1689. Moyle, Sea Chyrurg., II. v. 40. Dip your Dorcells … squeeze them, then arm them with your Restringent.
1761. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, III. xvi. 71. The points of my forceps have not been sufficiently arm’d.
1787. T. Best, Angling, 13. For setting on the hook, or more scientifically speaking, arming it, use strong but small silk.
e. To prepare (for resistance, action, etc.).
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., I. i. 117. Arme your selfe To fit your fancies to your Fathers Will. Ibid. (1601), All’s Well, I. ii. 11. He hath arm’d our answer, and Florence is deni’de before he comes. [See ARMED 2.].
3. refl. (in prec. senses.)
c. 1300. Beket, 2230. This lithere Kniȝtes, armeden hem eft sone.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sec. Nonnes T., 385. Armith you in armur of brightnes.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of Armes, III. xxii. Neuermore shulde arme hym self aienst the King of France.
a. 1602. Perkins, Cases Consc. (1611), 291. To arme our selues with patience.
† b. Of a horse. (see quot.) Obs.
c. 1580. Blundevil, in Lit. Times (1863), 14 March. He [the horse] … will arm hymselfe and run away.
1611. in Cotgr.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., A horse is said to arm himself, when he presses down his head, and bends his neck, so as to rest the branches of the bridle upon his brisket.
4. intr. for refl. To arm oneself, take up arms.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 491. Arise vp … And armes anone, every wight.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., II. iv. 49. Princes, looke you strongly arme to meet him. Ibid. (1605), Macb., V. v. 46. Arme, arme, and out.
1779. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 303. It certainly cannot be right to arm in support of a faction, though it is most laudable to arm in favour of our country.
1852. Tennyson, Penny-wise, in Morn. Chron., 24 Jan. Is this a time to cry for peace, When we should shriek for rifles? Arm, arm, arm!
† b. To set traps. Obs.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Epist., 19. The pastime … of Arthabanus king of Hircans was to arme for rats.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Armar, to arme, prepare, set a snare.
c. To arm against: to take defensive or precautionary measures against.
1727. Swift, What passed in Lond., Wks. 1755, III. I. 187. A pestilential malignancy in the air … which might be armed against by proper and timely medicines.
5. trans. To plate (with anything) for strength; to furnish with any protective covering.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. lix. (1495), 175. The grystill … armyth the endes of the bones.
1627. Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., xiv. 67. To Arme a shot … for feare of bursting the Peece, which is to binde a little Okum in a little Canuasse at the end of each Pike. Ibid. (1692), II. xxxi. 150. The Cases … must be Armed about with strong Twine.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., I. 220. First Ceres … arm’d with Iron Shares the crooked Plough.
1854. Woodward, Man. Mollusca (1856), 29. The gizzard is armed with numerous small plates.
6. To furnish (a magnet) with an armature.
1664. [see ARMED ppl. a.1].
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., The best way to arm a loadstone.
1832. U. K. S., Nat. Phil. Magnet., v. § 214. For this purpose it should be armed, as it is called; that is, an armature of iron should be applied to both its poles.
1837. Whewell, Hist. Induct. Sc., XII. i. The increased energy which magnets acquire by being armed.
7. Her. See ARMED: also fig.
1590. Tarltons Newes out of Purgatorie, 23. He is as the rest are, made a gentleman, his arms the Asse, with a maruellous paire of long & large eares. The emblason [etc.].
† 8. Cookery, To dress, garnish, season with. Obs.
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 439. Craunes and Herns shall be armed with larde.
