Lame (lm), 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]
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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.
Lam"el (?), n. See Lamella.
La*mel"la (?), n.; pl. L. Lamellæ (#), E. Lamellas (#). [L. lamella,
dim. of lamina plate, leaf, layer: cf. F. lamelle. Cf. Lamina, Omelet.]
a thin plate or scale of anything, as a thin scale growing from the
petals of certain flowers; or one of the thin plates or scales of which
certain shells are composed.
Lam"el*lar (?), a. [Cf. F. lamellaire.] Flat and thin; lamelliform;
composed of lamellæ. -- Lam"el*lar*ly, adv. In thin plates or scales.
Lam"el*la*ry (?), a. Of or pertaining to lamella or to lamellæ;
lamellar.
{ Lam"el*late (?), Lam"el*la`ted (?), } a. [See Lamella.] Composed of,
or furnished with, thin plates or scales. See Illust. of Antennæ.
La*mel"li*branch (?), n. (Zoöl.) One of the Lamellibranchia. Also used
adjectively.
{ ||La*mel`li*bran"chi*a (?), ||La*mel`li*bran`chi*a"ta (?), } n. pl.
[NL. See lamella, and Branchia, Branchiate.] (Zoöl.) A class of
Mollusca including all those that have bivalve shells, as the clams,
oysters, mussels, etc.
They usually have two (rarely but one) flat, lamelliform gills on each
side of the body. They have an imperfectly developed head, concealed
within the shell, whence they are called Acephala. Called also
Conchifera, and Pelecypoda. See Bivalve.
Lam`el*li*bran"chi*ate (?), a. (Zoöl.) Having lamellar gills; belonging
to the Lamellibranchia. -- n. One of the Lamellibranchia.
La*mel"li*corn (?), a. [Lamella + L. cornu a horn: cf. F. lamellicorne.
See Lamella.] (Zoöl.) (a) Having antennæ terminating in a group of flat
lamellæ; -- said of certain coleopterous insects. (b) Terminating in a
group of flat lamellæ; -- said of antennæ. -- n. A lamellicorn insect.
||La*mel`li*cor"ni*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Lamellicorn.] (Zoöl.) A group
||of lamellicorn, plant-eating beetles; -- called also Lamellicornes.
||
Lam`el*lif"er*ous (?), a. [Lamella + -ferous: cf. F. lamellifère.]
Bearing, or composed of, lamellæ, or thin layers, plates, or scales;
foliated.
La*mel"li*form (?), a. [Lamella + -form : cf. F. lamelliforme.] Thin
and flat; scalelike; lamellar.
Lam`el*li*ros"tral (?), a. [Lamella + rostral : cf. F. lamellirostre.]
(Zoöl.) Having a lamellate bill, as ducks and geese.
||La*mel`li*ros"tres (?), n. pl. [NL. See Lamella, and Rostrum.]
||(Zoöl.) A group of birds embracing the Anseres and flamingoes, in
||which the bill is lamellate.
||
Lam"el*lose` (?), a. [Cf. F. lamelleux.] Composed of, or having,
lamellæ; lamelliform.
Lame"ly (?), adv. [See Lame.] In a lame, crippled, disabled, or
imperfect manner; as, to walk lamely; a figure lamely drawn.
Lame"ness, n. The condition or quality of being lame; as, the lameness
of an excuse or an argument.
La*ment" (?), v. i. [F. lamenter, L. lamentari, fr. lamentum a lament.]
To express or feel sorrow; to weep or wail; to mourn.
Jeremiah lamented for Josiah.