lemma

¹ American  

[lem-uh] / ˈlɛm ə /

noun

plural

lemmas, lemmata

1. a subsidiary proposition introduced in proving some other proposition; a helping theorem.

2. an argument, theme, or subject, especially when indicated in a heading.

3. a word or phrase that is glossed; headword.

---

lemma ² American  

[lem-uh] / ˈlɛm ə /

noun

Botany.

plural

lemmas

1. a bract in a grass spikelet just below the pistil and stamens.

---

lemma ¹ British  

/ ˈlɛmə /

noun

1. the outer of two bracts surrounding each floret in a grass spikelet Compare palea

---

lemma ² British  

/ ˈlɛmə /

noun

1. a subsidiary proposition, proved for use in the proof of another proposition

2. linguistics a word considered as its citation form together with all the inflected forms. For example, the lemma go consists of go together with goes, going, went, and gone

3. an argument or theme, esp when used as the subject or title of a composition

---

lemma Scientific  

/ lĕm′ə /

plural

lemmas

1. The outer or lower of the two bracts enclosing one of the flowers within a grass spikelet.

---

Etymology

Origin of lemma¹

1560–70; < Latin: theme, title, epigram < Greek lêmma something received, premise, akin to lambánein to take, receive, take for granted

Origin of lemma²

1745–55; < Greek lémma shell, husk, akin to lépein to peel

Example Sentences

A false lemma is a false premise, or step in the reasoning process.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

You’ll have to listen to the episode to hear why this opulent meringue concoction is the perfect accompaniment to Sperner’s lemma.

From Scientific American • Sep. 29, 2018

The connection between the discrete nature of Sperner’s lemma, with its spread out dots, and the continuous hairy ball, was surprising to me.

From Scientific American • Sep. 29, 2018

Dr. Riehl’s real favorite theorem is the Yoneda lemma, but she wanted to talk about a different theorem for the podcast.

From Scientific American • May 28, 2018

The explanation suggested in Dr. Whitley Stokes’s note is “helma=hen lemma, this in this place.”

From A Handbook of the Cornish Language chiefly in its latest stages with some account of its history and literature by Jenner, Henry

Related Words

• assumption
• axiom
• conclusion
• conjecture
• explanation
• guess
• inference
• interpretation
• premise
• proposition
• rationale
• supposition
• theorem
• thesis