lame
1[ leym ]
/ leɪm /
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adjective, lam·er, lam·est.
verb (used with object), lamed, lam·ing.
to make lame or defective.
noun
Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a person who is out of touch with modern fads or trends, especially one who is unsophisticated.
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Origin of lame
1First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and verb); Old English lama (adjective); cognate with Dutch lam, German lahm, Old Norse lami; akin to Lithuanian lúomas
usage note for lame
Many speakers do not recognize or consider the connection between the medical and slang senses of lame . Nevertheless, using a term associated with injury or disability as a general insult is sometimes perceived as insensitive to or by people with disabilities.
OTHER WORDS FROM lame
lamely, adverblameness, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lame
lame , laméOther definitions for lame (2 of 3)
lame2
[ leym; French lam ]
/ leɪm; French lam /
noun, plural lames [leym; French lam]. /leɪm; French lam/. Armor.
any of a number of thin, overlapping plates composing a piece of plate armor, as a fauld, tasset, or gauntlet.
Origin of lame
21580–90; <Middle French <Latin lāmina a thin piece or plate
Other definitions for lame (3 of 3)
lamé
[ lah-mey, la-; French la-mey ]
/ lɑˈmeɪ, læ-; French laˈmeɪ /
noun
an ornamental fabric in which metallic threads, as of gold or silver, are woven with silk, wool, rayon, or cotton.
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lamé
lame, laméDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
How to use lame in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for lame (1 of 3)
lame1
/ (leɪm) /
adjective
disabled or crippled in the legs or feet
painful or weaka lame back
weak; unconvincinga lame excuse
not effective or enthusiastica lame try
US slang conventional or uninspiring
verb
(tr) to make lame
Derived forms of lame
lamely, adverblameness, nounWord Origin for lame
Old English lama; related to Old Norse lami, German lahm
British Dictionary definitions for lame (2 of 3)
lame2
/ (leɪm) /
noun
one of the overlapping metal plates used in armour after about 1330; splint
Word Origin for lame
C16: via Old French from Latin lāmina a thin plate, lamina
British Dictionary definitions for lame (3 of 3)
lamé
/ (ˈlɑːmeɪ) /
noun
- a fabric of silk, cotton, or wool interwoven with threads of metal
- (as modifier)a gold lamé gown
Word Origin for lamé
from French, from Old French lame gold or silver thread, thin plate, from Latin lāmina thin plate
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for lame
lame
[ lām ]
adj.
Disabled so that movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible.
Marked by pain or rigidness.
v.
To cause to become lame; cripple.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.