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: a limb (such as an arm, wing, fin, or leg) that is situated anteriorly
the forelimb of a bat
Examples of forelimb in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Most of the body and part of the tail are visible in the fossil, in addition to the eyes, nerves, and a forelimb.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 30 Oct. 2024
Her injuries were consistent with those found in modern humans who reach their hands out toward the ground to break a fall: greenstick fractures across both forelimb bones, the radius and the ulna.
—Carly Miller, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
Griffins are depicted with proportionate limbs with strong claws; Protoceratops had shorter forelimbs than hindlimbs and blunt claws.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 25 June 2024
And the unusual forelimbs, or wing bones, of Imparavis were another remarkable feature of its anatomy.
—Tara Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Mar. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1796, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near forelimb
Cite this Entry
“Forelimb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forelimb. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
forelimb
noun
fore·limb
-ˌlim
: an arm, fin, wing, or leg that is one of a front pair of limbs or corresponds to one
Medical Definition
forelimb
noun
fore·limb
-ˌlim
: a limb (as an arm, fin, wing, or leg) that is situated anteriorly
More from Merriam-Webster on forelimb
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for forelimb
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about forelimb
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