lam

1 of 3

verb

lammed; lamming

transitive verb

: to beat soundly : thrash

intransitive verb

1
2
: to flee hastily : scram

lam

2 of 3

noun

: sudden or hurried flight especially from the law
on the lam

Lam

3 of 3

abbreviation

Lamentations

Examples of lam in a Sentence

Verb let's lam out of this hellhole while there's still time Noun the prisoners were recaptured after only three days on the lam
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
No studio would finance the feature, about a whorehouse exhibitionist who lams it after being framed for murder — so director Melvin Van Peebles financed it himself with a boost from Bill Cosby, who gave him a $50,000 loan. Andrew Lawrence, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024 One of those classic films that’s as good as its reputation (and maybe even better), Billy Wilder’s high-spirited comedy stars Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as jazz musicians who have to lam it after witnessing a mob crime. Keith Phipps, Rolling Stone, 1 May 2023
Noun
Consider, when admiring the timepiece pictured above, that the debut model of this collectors’ darling was introduced to the world the same year that Friends aired for the first time, Oasis dropped Definitely Maybe, and O.J. Simpson went on the lam in the back of a white Ford Bronco. Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2024 Despicable Me 4 centers on Gru (Carell) and his family — including newest addition, Gru Jr. — going on the lam after a threat from the villainous Maxime Le Mal (Ferrell). Ryan Gajewski, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for lam 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lemja to thrash; akin to Old English lama lame

First Known Use

Verb

1595, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

circa 1897, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lam was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near lam

Cite this Entry

“Lam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lam. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

lam

1 of 2 verb
lammed; lamming
1
2
: to flee hastily

lam

2 of 2 noun
: a sudden or hurried flight especially from the law
on the lam

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