Definition: The arm of a letter is the horizontal stroke on some characters that does not connect to a stroke or stem at one or both ends. The top of the capital T and the horizontal strokes of the F and E are examples of arms. Additionally, the diagonal upward stroke on a K is its arm. Sometimes arm is used interchangeably with bar or crossbar or cross stroke.
Arm is often also used to describe the mostly horizontal top stroke of C, double-storey a, G, and other glyphs, to include the finial, terminal, spur, or other elements of the stroke.
Also Known As: crossbar, cross stroke
Examples:
The arms of an uppercase F connect to the stem only at one end and the arm of an uppercase T sits at the top of the stem and doesn't connect at either end. In contrast a cross stroke intersects the stem of a lowercase t or f and the cross bar connects the diagonal strokes of an uppercase A or the vertical stems of an H.
