limb of the law
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
A lawyer, or clerk articled to that profession.
Luật sư hoặc thư ký được đào tạo trong nghề đó
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Register: archaic, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
An inferior or pettyfogging attorney.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
a lawyer, or clerk articled to that profession.
luật sư hoặc thư ký được đào tạo trong nghề luật
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “limb of the law” mean?
A lawyer, or clerk articled to that profession.
Is “limb of the law” formal or informal?
limb of the law is generally archaic, slang.