armrest

US/ˈɑɹmˌɹɛst/

nounB1Very rare — outside the 30,000 commonest English words, so you will meet it in writing rather than in speechneutral

Other forms: armrests

An armrest is the padded bar at the side of a seat where your elbow goes. The one you quietly fight your neighbour for on a plane.

Every fixed seat has them: cinema seats, office chairs, aeroplane seats, the sides of a wheelchair. On a chair at home the same part is usually just called an arm, which is where the armchair gets its name. Some armrests do more than rest an arm — they lift out of the way, they hide a cup holder, they carry the controls of an electric seat. Sharing one is a small silent negotiation that no airline has ever solved.

Definitions of armrest

1nounarmrestThe padded support at the side of a seat for your arm.B1
“He gripped the armrest as the plane took off.”

Where it comes from

From arm + rest.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in A Man Called Ove

First appears in chapter 24 of A Man Called Ove.

Practise this word

armrest in the wild

The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e "seat (legal entity)").
Seat
The rear seat had a fold down centre armrest and leather covers were used.
Riley Pathfinder
An armrest (or arm-rest) is a part of a chair, where a person can rest their arms on.
Armrest
Adjustable armrests are commonly found in ergonomic office chairs and gaming chairs.
Armrest
Police cars often have mobile data terminals in the form of a laptop swivel mounted where the driver's armrest would be.
Carputer

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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