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Limber vs Numb - What's the difference?

limber | numb |

As adjectives the difference between limber and numb

is that limber is flexible, pliant, bendable while numb is without the power of sensation and motion or feeling; insensible.

As verbs the difference between limber and numb

is that limber is to cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant or limber can be (obsolete) to prepare an artillery piece for transportation (ie, to attach it to its limber) while numb is to cause to become numb.

As a noun limber

is (obsolete) a two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle used to pull an artillery piece into battle.

limber

English

Etymology 1

(en)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Flexible, pliant, bendable.
    • He's so limber that he can kiss his knee without bending it.
  • * Turberville
    • The bargeman that doth row with long and limber oar.
    Derived terms
    * limber up

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause to become limber; to make flexible or pliant.
  • * (Richardson)

    • Etymology 2

    For the obsolete (limmer), from (etyl)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicle used to pull an artillery piece into battle.
  • (in the plural) The shafts or thills of a wagon or carriage.
  • (military) The detachable fore part of a gun carriage, consisting of two wheels, an axle, and a shaft to which the horses are attached. On top is an ammunition box upon which the cannoneers sit.
  • *1985 , (Peter Carey), Illywhacker , Faber and Faber 2003, p. 29:
  • *:we covered the rutted, rattling, dusty pot-holed roads of coastal Victoria, six big Walers in front, the cannon at the rear, and that unsprung cart they called a ‘limber ’ in the middle.
  • (nautical, in the plural) Gutters or conduits on each side of the keelson to allow water to pass to the pump well.
    • Usage notes
    * Sometimes the plural limbers was used to refer to a single such vehicle.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To prepare an artillery piece for transportation (i.e., to attach it to its limber.)
    • Antonyms
    * unlimber

    References

    * Oxford English Dictionary , 2nd ed., 1989. * Notes:

    numb

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Without the power of sensation and motion or feeling; insensible.
  • Not able to react, surprised, shocked.
  • Causing numbness.
  • * Shakespeare
    • All thin and naked to the numb cold night.

    Antonyms

    * sensible, sensitive

    Derived terms

    * benumb * numbly * numbness * numbnuts

    Related terms

    * numskull

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To cause to become numb.
    • The dentist gave me novocaine to numb my tooth before drilling, thank goodness.

    Synonyms

    * benumb