lam

¹

[ lam ]

verb (used with object)

, lammed, lam·ming.

1. to beat; thrash.

verb (used without object)

, lammed, lam·ming.

1. to beat; strike; thrash (usually followed by out or into ).

lam

²

[ lam ]

noun

1. a hasty escape; flight.

verb (used without object)

, lammed, lam·ming.

1. to run away quickly; escape; flee:

   I'm going to lam out of here as soon as I've finished.

lām

³

[ lahm ]

noun

1. the 23rd letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Lam

⁴

[ lahm, lam ]

noun

1. Wi·fre·do [wi-, frey, -doh] or Wil·fre·do [wil-, frey, -doh], 1902–82, Cuban painter in Europe.

lam.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. laminated.

Lam.

⁶

abbreviation for

, Bible.

1. Lamentations.

Lam.

¹

abbreviation for

1. Lamentations

lam

²

/ læm /

noun

1. a sudden flight or escape, esp to avoid arrest
2. on the lam
   1. making an escape
   2. in hiding

verb

1. intr to escape or flee

lam

³

/ læm /

verb

1. tr to thrash or beat
2. intr; usually foll by into or out to make a sweeping stroke or blow

Word History and Origins

Origin of lam¹

1590–1600; < Old Norse lamdi, past tense of lemja to beat; akin to lame ¹

Origin of lam²

1885–90; special use of lam ¹. Compare beat it! be off!

Origin of lam³

From Arabic; lambda

Word History and Origins

Origin of lam¹

C19: perhaps from lam ¹(hence, to be off)

Origin of lam²

C16: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse lemja

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on the lam, escaping, fleeing, or hiding, especially from the police:

   He's been on the lam ever since he escaped from jail.

2. take it on the lam, to flee or escape in great haste:

   The swindler took it on the lam and was never seen again.

More idioms and phrases containing lam

see on the lam .

Example Sentences

The first pioneer to reach the riparian tributary where Kansas City now shimmers was, in fact, on the lam himself.

From The Daily Beast

The deputy offered by Leung to mediate, Carrie Lam, is also hated by many.

From The Daily Beast

And while Alliegro was on the lam in Central America, Rivera reportedly visited her several times.

From The Daily Beast

Tyrion, now on the lam for patricide by crossbow, is destined for an unknown foreign port like a diminutive Edward Snowden.

From The Daily Beast

“[It] was an unexpected but totally interesting project,” Lam told WWD.

From The Daily Beast

Diaz, the dead pigeon, and this guy McSweeney take it on the lam from the big house.

From Project Gutenberg

I hold that natur haz its laws and programmy, all the wa down, from the biling over ov a volkano tu the wiggle ov a lam's tale.

From Project Gutenberg

At length we reach the main valley, called in its upper part Tselung, and in its lower Lam-chyker.

From Project Gutenberg

Panislamic, pan-is-lam′ik, adj. relating to all Islam, or all the Mohammedan races.

From Project Gutenberg

A large fleet was prepared, and Nicias, Lam´a-chus, and Alcibiades were chosen generals of the expedition.

From Project Gutenberg