lame´ly

lame¹ «laym», adjective, lam|er, lam|est, verb, lamed, lam|ing.

–adj.

1. not able to walk properly; having an injured leg or foot; crippled: »

The soldier limps because he is lame from an old wound.

SYNONYM(S): disabled, halt, game.

2. stiff and sore: »

His arm is lame from playing ball.

3. Figurative. poor or weak; not very good: »

Sleeping too long is a lame excuse for being late.

SYNONYM(S): imperfect, unconvincing, feeble, unsatisfactory.

4. U.S. Slang. not up to date; naive: »

Anyone who does not know that he is the positively super-fab lead singer of Paul Revere and the Raiders is obviously lame…or perhaps just over 25 and into the twilight of life (Time).

5. Archaic. crippled or impaired in any way; unable to move; infirm.

–v.t.

to make lame; cripple: »

The accident lamed him for life.

–v.i.

to become lame; go lame.

╂[Old English lama]

–lame´ly, adverb.

–lame´ness, noun.

lame² «laym», noun.

1. one of numerous thin, small, steel plates laid in an overlapping pattern in making pieces of flexible armor.

2. Obsolete. a thin piece of any substance; lamina.

╂[< Old French lame < Latin lāmina, and lāmna. See doublet etym. at lamina. (Cf. ↑lamina)]