Hypertext Webster Gateway: "lame"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lame \Lame\, a. [Compar. {Lamer}; superl. {Lamest}.] [OE. lame,
AS. lama; akin to D. lam, G. lahm,OHG., Dan., & Sw. lam,
Icel. lami, Russ. lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.]
1.
(a) Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury,
defect, or temporary obstruction of a function; as, a
lame leg, arm, or muscle.
(b) To some degree disabled by reason of the imperfect
action of a limb; crippled; as, a lame man. ``Lame of
one leg.'' --Arbuthnot. ``Lame in both his feet.'' --2
Sam. ix. 13. ``He fell, and became lame.'' --2 Sam.
iv. 4.
2. Hence, hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect. ``A lame
endeavor.'' --Barrow.
O, most lame and impotent conclusion! --Shak.
{Lame duck} (stock Exchange), a person who can not fulfill
his contracts. [Cant]
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Lame \Lame\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Lamed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Laming}.]
To make lame.
If you happen to let child fall and lame it. --Swift.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
lame
adj 1: pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness; "a feeble
excuse"; "a lame argument" [syn: {feeble}]
2: (of horses) disabled in the feet or legs [syn: {spavined}]
3: disabled in the feet or legs [syn: {crippled}, {halt}, {halting}]
n 1: someone who doesn't understand what is going on [syn: {square}]
2: a fabric interwoven with threads of metal; "she wore a gold
lame dress"
v : deprive of the use of a limb, esp. a leg; "The accident has
crippled her for life" [syn: {cripple}]
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