{{short description|Narrow extension of water extending from a larger body of water}} {{more references needed|date=June 2025}} thumb|right|350px|Shuswap Lake in British Columbia with its three arms In geography, an '''arm''' is a narrow extension, inlet, or smaller reach, of water flowing out from a much larger body of water, such as an ocean, a sea, or a lake. Although different geographically, a sound or bay may also be called an arm, or vice versa.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Carey |first1=Henry Charles |title=The Geography, History, and Statistics of America and the West Indies ... With Additions, Relative to the New States of South America ... Illustrated by Maps, Charts, and Plates. [A Revised Edition of “A Complete, Chronological and Geographical American Atlas,” Published in Philadelphia.] |date=1823 |publisher=Sherwood, Jones & Company |page=115 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Geography_History_and_Statistics_of/4mpYSK2LUSIC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Arm%22+geography+-wikipedia&pg=PA115&printsec=frontcover |access-date=5 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Caulfield |first1=J. Benjamin |title=Mathematical & Physical Geography ... To which are annexed a copious appendix and geographical tables, etc |date=1850 |publisher=Edwards & Hughes |page=200 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Mathematical_Physical_Geography_To_which/gFdiAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22Arm%22%20geography%20-wikipedia&pg=PA200&printsec=frontcover |access-date=5 June 2025 |language=en}}</ref>

Both the tributary and distributary of a river are sometimes called an "arm". By extension, a ''canal arm'' is a subsidiary branch of a canal or inland waterway. A number of place names are derived from this term, such as Salmon Arm, Indian Arm and Alice Arm.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Government of Canada |first1=Natural Resources Canada |title=Place names - Alice Arm |url=https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique?id=JCLWD |website=geonames.nrcan.gc.ca |access-date=5 June 2025}}</ref>

==See also== *Anabranch *River *Channel *Indian Arm *Alice Arm *Gulf of Bothnia *Lake George

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arm (Geography)}} Category:Coastal and oceanic landforms Category:Bodies of water