sidearm
/ˈsaɪdˌɑɹm/noun, verb, adverb
sidearm is spelled S-I-D-E-A-R-M: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, sidearm means “A personal weapon, either a firearm (handgun type) or a cold weapon (such as a sword), carried on the hip in a belt, sheath, holster, etc., for rapid…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of sidearm is sidearms.
How many letters and syllables are in sidearm?
| Letters | 7: S-I-D-E-A-R-M |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 55,433rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is sidearm?
Sidearm appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce sidearm?
- US /ˈsaɪdˌɑɹm/
Sidearm has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-sidearm.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with sidearm
Also written: side arm (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with sidearm?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as sidearm (/aɪdɑɹm/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: misread.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of sidearm
- sidearms plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- sidearming participle, present
- sidearmed participle, past
- more sidearm comparative
- most sidearm superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does sidearm mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A personal weapon, either a firearm (handgun type) or a cold weapon (such as a sword), carried on the hip in a belt, sheath, holster, etc., for rapid access.
verb
- 1
To throw a ball with one's arm roughly parallel to the ground.
adverb
- 1
With one's arm roughly parallel to the ground.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Sidearm in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense weapon carried on the hip in a belt:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | arma de cinturón |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does sidearm come from?
From side + arm.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).