noun
arse
ahs
noun
1
The buttocks; the backside.
"He slipped on the ice and landed flat on his arse."
2
An annoying, stupid, or contemptible person.
"Stop being such an arse about the whole thing."
verb
1
To mess around or act foolishly (often as "arse about" or "arse around").
"They spent the afternoon arsing about instead of working."
How to Use Arse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBritish slang for the backside — also used to call someone an idiot or describe messing about.
When to use it
Informal and mildly vulgar British English; the American equivalent is "ass."
UK vs US
UK uses "arse"; US typically uses "ass" for the same meanings.
Word Forms
arsed past tense, arses plural, arses singular
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Etymology
From Old English ears, a very old Germanic word for the buttocks — related to German Arsch and Dutch aars.