Democratic Underground - Quoting the definition from english law doesnt support your case.

naval arm...you never heard of a naval armada? lol.

again quoting a legal definition from a system of government that we rebelled against because they were too oppressive and restricted of our rights, does nothing to support your position.

especially since all the dictionaries i could find from that period, which i have listed below, follow my assertion that the word arms is more broad in meaning. the only definition that follows your example was a legal dictionary for law students in great britian.

The Universal Etymological English Dictionary By Nathan Bailey 1731
ARMS all manner of Weapons

A dictionary of the English language By Samuel Johnson 1773
ARMS. s. without the singular number.
1.Weapons of offence, or armour of defence. Pope.
2.A ftate of hoftility. Shakespeare.
3.War in general. Dryden.
4.Action; the act of tsking arms. Milton.
5.The enfigns armorial of a family.

The New Spelling Dictionary By John Entick 1780
Arms, f, pl. of a family, weapons at war

The royal standard English dictionary By William Perry 1788
Arms, f. pl.efcutcheons; weapons of war

A complete and universal English dictionary By James Barclay 1792
ARMS, f. all kinds of weapons, whether offenfive or defenfive. Figuratively, a ftate of hoftility between two nations; war.
In Heraldry, the badges of diftinction, efcutcheons, or other marks of honour, given by fovereigns, and borne on banners, fhields, or coats.

The new and complete dictionary of the English language: By John Ash 1795
ARMS (s. piu. from the Lat. arma) Weapons of offence, armour of defence, a ftate of war, the act of takings arms, the enfigns armorial of a family, an efcutcheon.

A dictionary of the English language By Samuel Johnson, Thomas Tegg 1812
ARMS, s. without the sing. number.
1.Weapons of offence, or armour of defence. Pope.
2.A state of hostility. Shakespeare.
3.War in general. Dryden.
4.Action ; the act of taking arms. Milton.
5.The ensigns of armorial of a family.

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