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lame

1
[ leym ]
/ leɪm /
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See synonyms for: lame / lamed / lamest / lames on Thesaurus.com
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

1
First 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, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lame

lame , lamé

Other 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

2
1580–90; <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.

Origin of lamé

1920–25; <French, equivalent to lamelame2 + -é<Latin -ātus-ate1

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH lamé

lame, lamé
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to lame

sore, flimsy, bruised, deformed, disabled, game, halt, handicapped, hobbling, limping, pained, sidelined, stiff, faltering, poor, thin, gimpy, faulty, flabby, inadequate

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, noun

Word 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
  1. a fabric of silk, cotton, or wool interwoven with threads of metal
  2. (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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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