arse (ɑːs) or ass

1. the buttocks
2. the anus
3. a stupid person; fool
4. sexual intercourse
5. Austral effrontery; cheek
6. get one's arse into gear to start to do something seriously and quickly

Also called (for senses 2, 3): arsehole or asshole (US and Canadian)


Usage: Dating back at least a thousand years, and taboo till around the middle of the 20th century, this venerable ``Anglo-Saxon'' word now seems unlikely to cause offence in all but the most formal contexts. Its acceptability has possibly been helped by such useful verb formations as ``to arse about'' and ``I can't be arsed''