arb

{ } n. [ OF. arbaleste, LL. arbalista, for L. arcuballista; arcus bow + ballista a military engine. See Ballista. ] (Antiq.) A crossbow, consisting of a steel bow set in a shaft of wood, furnished with a string and a trigger, and a mechanical device for bending the bow. It served to throw arrows, darts, bullets, etc. [ Written also arbalet and arblast. ] Fosbroke. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ OF. arblastere, OF. arbalestier. See Arbalest. ] A crossbowman. [ Obs. ] Speed. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To act as arbiter between. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arbiter; ar- (for ad) + the root of betere to go; hence properly, one who comes up to look on. ] 1. A person appointed, or chosen, by parties to determine a controversy between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In modern usage, arbitrator is the technical word. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any person who has the power of judging and determining, or ordaining, without control; one whose power of deciding and governing is not limited. [ 1913 Webster ]

For Jove is arbiter of both to man. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Arbitrator; umpire; director; referee; controller; ruler; governor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. arbitrable, fr. L. arbitrari. See Arbitrate, v. t. ] Capable of being decided by arbitration; determinable. [ Archaic ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. arbiter to give judgment, L. arbitrari. ] 1. Judgment by an arbiter; authoritative determination. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Com.) A traffic in bills of exchange (see Arbitration of Exchange). [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Finance) the simultaneous or near simultaneous purchase and sale of the same or closely linked securities or commodities in different markets to make a profit on the (often small) differences in price. [ PJC ]

n. same as arbitrageur.
Syn. -- arb, arbitrageur [ PJC ]

n. someone who engages in arbitrage; i. e. one who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential.
Syn. -- arb, arbitrager. [ WordNet 1.5 ]