Limber
/ˈlɪm.bɚ/noun
Flexible, supple, or easily bent; also, to make or become more flexible.
Did you know?Limber is historically tied to an old Germanic root meaning “to hang down” or “be flexible,” which is why the word’s oldest sense is all about looseness, not strength.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*lei-
“to bend, to turn, to be flexible”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*līmōną
“to become soft or pliant”
Old English
OE
limor
“pliant, flexible”
Middle English
ME
limber
“pliant, easily bent; also, weak or feeble”
Modern English
English
limber
“flexible, supple, or easily bent; to make flexible”