life and limb
English edit
Etymology edit
A reference to a person risking the loss of their life and injury to their limbs (arms and legs).
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˈlaɪf n̩ ˈlɪm/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪm
Noun edit
life and limb pl (plural only)
- Existence together with the bodily faculties.
- Synonym: (obsolete) life and member
- Those kids are risking life and limb when they go inside that old abandoned house: it might collapse on their heads.
Usage notes edit
- The term is often used in phrases referring to the risk of losing such attributes.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Translations edit
existence together with the bodily faculties
Further reading edit
- “life and limb” under “life, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2009.
- “life and limb, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- “life and limb” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.