: 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
Above the hour-marker at 6 o’clock, there’s an appliqué representing two claws, nodding to the T-rex’s forelimbs.
—
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025
Bats have five finger-like digits on their forelimbs, with the first and shortest digit acting like a thumb.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
Their ability to incapacitate large herbivores with powerful forelimbs and dagger-like canines may have given them a predatory edge over the bone-crushing canids.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The research showed how squirrels use their musculoskeletal system to adjust their body position, dynamically absorbing the impact of landing with their forelimbs and altering their mass distribution to turn near misses into successful perches.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forelimb
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 23 Apr. 2025
Bats have five finger-like digits on their forelimbs, with the first and shortest digit acting like a thumb.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
Their ability to incapacitate large herbivores with powerful forelimbs and dagger-like canines may have given them a predatory edge over the bone-crushing canids.
—Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The research showed how squirrels use their musculoskeletal system to adjust their body position, dynamically absorbing the impact of landing with their forelimbs and altering their mass distribution to turn near misses into successful perches.
—IEEE Spectrum, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forelimb
Cite this Entry
“Forelimb.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forelimb. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share