British vulgar slang for the buttocks or a foolish person; equivalent to American 'ass'.
From Old English 'ærs', related to Old Norse 'ars' and German 'Arsch'. The word has ancient Indo-European roots and cognates in many languages, making it one of the oldest vulgar terms.
Despite being considered vulgar, 'arse' appears in Shakespeare and other classic literature because it wasn't always considered as offensive as it is today. The taboo nature of body-part words often increases over time rather than decreases.
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