lam

[ lam ]

/ læm /

Slang.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lam ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), lammed, lam·ming.

to beat; thrash.

verb (used without object), lammed, lam·ming.

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

Nearby words

lalo, lalo-, lalochezia, lalopathy, laloplegia, lam, lam., lama, lamaism, lamar, lamar, lucius quintus cincinnatus

Origin of lam

1590–1600; < Old Norse lamdi, past tense of lemja to beat; akin to lame¹

Definition for lam (2 of 6)

lam

[ lam ]

/ læm /

Slang.

noun

a hasty escape; flight.

verb (used without object), lammed, lam·ming.

to run away quickly; escape; flee: I'm going to lam out of here as soon as I've finished.

Origin of lam

1885–90; special use of lam¹. Compare beat it! be off!

Definition for lam (3 of 6)

lām

[ lahm ]

/ lɑm /

noun

the 23rd letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Origin of lām

From Arabic; see origin at lambda

Definition for lam (4 of 6)

Lam

[ lahm, lam ]

/ lɑm, læm /

noun

Wi·fre·do

[wi-frey-doh] /wɪˈfreɪ doʊ/or Wil·fre·do

[wil-frey-doh] /wɪlˈfreɪ doʊ/, 1902–82, Cuban painter in Europe.

Definition for lam (5 of 6)

lam.

laminated.

Definition for lam (6 of 6)

Lam.

Lamentations.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lam

The first pioneer to reach the riparian tributary where Kansas City now shimmers was, in fact, on the lam himself.
Those Kansas City Blues: A Family History|Katie Baker|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while Alliegro was on the lam in Central America, Rivera reportedly visited her several times.
Former Congressman May Be Future Convict|Ben Jacobs|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tyrion, now on the lam for patricide by crossbow, is destined for an unknown foreign port like a diminutive Edward Snowden.
Valar Morghulis: Game of Thrones’ Women Are Going to Rule the World|Scott Bixby|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“[It] was an unexpected but totally interesting project,” Lam told WWD.
Gisele Bündchen Tops Highest-Paid Supermodels List; Kate Middleton Wears $72 Dress in Official Family Portrait|The Fashion Beast Team|August 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But for the globally notorious on the lam, it is shaping up to be an attractive getaway.
Ecuador Needs U.S. Aid. Will They Risk It All with Snowden?|Mac Margolis|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Lam'pedo of Lacedaemon was daughter, wife, sister, and mother of a king.
Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol 1|The Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D.
Those which depart furthest from this type are the Grypha, Lam.
A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby
A genus formed for the reception of Isocardia semi-sulcata, Lam.
A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby
A genus including several species of Nayades, referred to Iridina, Lam.
A Conchological Manual|George Brettingham Sowerby
None at all when the dacha wasn't in use for a conference or to hide someone on the lam from the KGB.
Revolution|Dallas McCord Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for lam (1 of 3)

lam

/ (læm) /

verb lams, lamming or lammed slang

(tr) to thrash or beat

(intr; usually foll by into or out) to make a sweeping stroke or blow

Word Origin for lam

C16: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse lemja

British Dictionary definitions for lam (2 of 3)

lam

/ (læm) US and Canadian slang /

noun

a sudden flight or escape, esp to avoid arrest

on the lam

making an escape
in hiding

verb lams, lamming or lammed

(intr) to escape or flee

Word Origin for lam

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

British Dictionary definitions for lam (3 of 3)

Lam.

/ Bible /

abbreviation for

Lamentations

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with lam

lam

see on the lam.