singlearmed

Singlearmed is an adjective used to describe something that has a single arm or limb. In general use, the term may refer to a person with one upper limb or to devices and mechanisms designed around a single articulated arm.

In medical contexts, the term may describe individuals with congenital limb differences or those who have undergone amputation. In clinical writing, “one-armed” or “single-armed” (often hyphenated) are more common, while the unhyphenated form “singlearmed” is rare in formal prose.

In robotics and mechanical engineering, a single-armed manipulator or robot has a single actuated limb. Such systems are studied for tasks in constrained environments or where simplicity and cost are prioritized over redundancy, in contrast with multi-armed configurations. Engineers address issues of kinematics, control, payload, and stability when designing single-armed designs.

Other uses include fictional or descriptive contexts where a character or object is described as single-armed; spelling typically follows standard hyphenation guidelines in formal writing.

Etymology and variants: The term is formed from single and armed. The unhyphenated form “singlearmed” is uncommon in formal writing; preferred variants are “single-armed” or, when referring to a person, “one-armed.” The term is largely descriptive and not tied to a single, specific discipline.