Unlimber

adj, verb

adj, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Verb
  1. 1
    To detach (an artillery piece) from its limber to deploy for firing. obsolete, transitive

    "The gun he drove had been unlimbered near Horsell, in order to command the sand-pits, and its arrival had precipitated the action."

  2. 2
    To clumsily put into employ (a large weapon or object). broadly, transitive
  3. 3
    To unsling (something, as a backpack, carried on the body with a strap); to bring (something carried) into the hands for use. broadly, transitive
  4. 4
    To stretch (limbs, muscles, etc., that have been cramped or unused for some time). figuratively, transitive

    ""I fancy," said Psmith, "that this is one of those moments when it is necessary for me to unlimber my Sherlock Holmes system. […] Do you follow me, Comrade Maloney?" / "That's right," said Billy Windsor. "Of course." / "Elementary, my dear Watson, elementary," murmured Psmith."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Not limber; lacking flexibility. transitive

Synonyms

All synonyms
adamantimmovableimmutableinductileinelasticinextensible

Antonyms

All antonyms
limber

Example

More examples

"The gun he drove had been unlimbered near Horsell, in order to command the sand-pits, and its arrival had precipitated the action."

Etymology

From un- + limber.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.