Limber

Limber is an adjective meaning easily bendable or flexible, not rigid, and able to be bent without breaking. It is used to describe physical pliability in people or materials, such as a limber dancer or limber wood, and it can be extended metaphorically to plans or schedules that can be adjusted readily. The term conveys both suppleness and readiness.

As a verb, to limber up means to loosen and warm the muscles and joints in preparation for physical activity; forms include limbering and limbered. In everyday usage, athletes and fitness writers often use the phrase to describe the act of preparing the body for exertion.

In historical military terminology, a limber is a two-wheeled frame used to transport artillery ammunition and to tow a gun carriage. The limber is typically paired with a caisson, forming part of the gun’s mobility system in the field. After the gun is fired, the limber is detached, allowing the carriage and ammunition to be moved separately or reassembled for the next action. The limber and caisson combination was widely used with horse-drawn artillery and gradually declined with the advent of motorized military vehicles.

Etymology generally ties limber to the notion of limb-like flexibility, reflecting the core sense of bendability. In modern usage, the word appears most often in discussions of physical fitness or in historical or technical contexts describing movable equipment.