simple past tense and past participle of arm
"The security guard armed the facility's alarm system just before the night shift began."
In plain English: To arm someone means to give them weapons so they can fight.
"The security team armed the building before the staff arrived."
Usage: Use armed only to describe someone who has been equipped with weapons, never to mean they are ready or prepared for an event. Avoid confusing this specific physical state with general readiness, which requires different vocabulary like "prepared" or "ready."
having arms or arms as specified; used especially in combination
"the many-armed goddess Shiva"
(used of plants and animals) furnished with bristles and thorns
"The hedgehog curled into a tight ball, its back fully armed with sharp spines to protect itself from predators."
Equipped, especially with a weapon.
"The cricketer was left in pain after dislocating his right arm during practice."
Having an arm or arms, often of a specified number or type.
In plain English: Armed means having weapons, such as guns or knives, for fighting or protection.
"The security guard was armed with a baton to protect the building."
Usage: Use "armed" to describe something equipped with weapons or tools, not to indicate that it possesses physical limbs. Avoid using it for furniture or body parts unless you are specifically referring to mechanical appendages in a technical context.
The word armed comes from combining the verb arm, meaning to equip someone with a weapon, with the suffix -ed. This formation directly describes the state of having been given weapons.