Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To cause to become limber; render limber or pliant.
  • noun The shaft or thill of a wagon: usually in the plural.
  • noun The fore part of the carriage of a field-gun or cannon, consisting of two wheels and an axle, with a framework and a pole for the horses.
  • noun Nautical, a hole cut through the floor-timbers as a passage for water to the pump-well.
  • Easily bent; flexible; pliant; lithe; yielding: as, a limber rod; a limber joint.
  • To attach the limber to, as a gun; fasten together the two parts of a gun-carriage, in preparation for moving away: often with up.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Prov. Eng. The shafts or thills of a wagon or carriage.
  • noun (Mil.) The detachable fore part of a gun carriage, consisting of two wheels, an axle, and a shaft to which the horses are attached. On top is an ammunition box upon which the cannoneers sit.
  • noun (Naut.) Gutters or conduits on each side of the keelson to afford a passage for water to the pump well.
  • noun (Naut.) short pieces of plank forming part of the lining of a ship's floor immediately above the timbers, so as to prevent the limbers from becoming clogged.
  • noun (Mil.) a box on the limber for carrying ammunition.
  • noun (Naut.) a rope or chain passing through the limbers of a ship, by which they may be cleared of dirt that chokes them.
  • noun (Shipbuilding) the first course of inside planking next the keelson.
  • adjective Easily bent; flexible; pliant; yielding.
  • transitive verb (Mil.) To attach to the limber.
  • transitive verb to change a gun carriage into a four-wheeled vehicle by attaching the limber.
  • transitive verb To cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle used to pull an artillery piece into battle.
  • verb obsolete To prepare an artillery piece for transportation (i.e., to attach it to its limber.)
  • verb To cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant.
  • adjective Flexible, pliant, bendable.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective (used of e.g. personality traits) readily adaptable
  • verb cause to become limber
  • verb attach the limber
  • adjective (used of artifacts) easily bent
  • adjective (used of persons' bodies) capable of moving or bending freely
  • noun a two-wheeled horse-drawn vehicle used to pull a field gun or caisson

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

For the obsolete limmer, from Old Norse limar ("branches"), plural of lim.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

This definition is lacking an etymology or has an incomplete etymology. You can help Wiktionary by giving it a proper etymology.

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Examples

  • The actual tube, breech block, and limber, is made from expensive steel alloys, requires costly machining operations that use both skilled workers and precision tools *.

    Asbestos - Canada's weapon of world domination! 2008

  • And while the Diamondbacks 'relievers stunk, Atlanta's relievers were able to get NLCS action, remain limber and keep Arizona from scoring.

    USATODAY.com - Just another typical Braves postseason performance 2001

  • I think facepalm-inducing weirdness helps keep your brain limber.

    Wrong, but how wrong? 2009

  • This facilitates the hooking up of the gun trail onto the limber, which is posted to the rear of the battery.

    Archive 2007-08-01 Der Alte Fritz 2007

  • And there was a strange disease called limber neck where they couldn't hold their head up.

    Ghost Soldiers: The Forgotten Epic Story of World War II's Most Dramatic Mission 2001

  • Collagen makes skin stronger, thicker and more limber, which is what makes skin smooth, firm and strong - and young looking.

    Think Progress 2010

  • I'm a little guy, and I'm limber, which is a tremendous advantage in squeezing into tight quarters.

    dispatches 2009

  • I'm a little guy, and I'm limber, which is a tremendous advantage in squeezing into tight quarters.

    dispatches 2009

  • It was not fright, for she longed for the moment of appearing; it was not ordinary nervousness, for she felt that she was as steady as a rock, and now and then, when she tried a few notes, to 'limber' her voice, it was steady, too, and exactly what it always was.

    Fair Margaret A Portrait Horace T. [Illustrator] Carpenter 1881

  • The constrained position in which I am forced to sit has tired me, and I think I will go out and 'limber' myself a little.

    Frank's Campaign, or, Farm and Camp Horatio Alger 1865

Comments

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  • In a military sense (In early use pl.): The detachable fore part of a gun-carriage, consisting of two wheels and an axle, a pole for the horses, and a frame which holds one or two ammunition-chests (see limber-box). It is attached to the trail of the gun-carriage proper by a hook.

    October 17, 2007

  • Oh. Then never mind my question at limber-box. Signed, still too lazy to check OED but it doesn't matter anymore. :-)

    October 17, 2007

  • "in artillery, is a two-wheeled carriage with shafts, to fasten to the trail of a travelling carriage by the means of an iron pin." (citation in Historical Military Terms list description)

    October 9, 2008

  • My father's face is brown with sun,

    His body is tall and limber.

    His hands are gentle with beast or child

    And strong as hardwood timber.

    - Elizabeth Madox Roberts, 'Father's Story'.

    November 1, 2008

  • Willow is limber timber.

    April 7, 2012