lam
Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
lam
a hasty escape; fleeing or hiding from the law: on the lam
Not to be confused with:
lamb – a young sheep; a person who is gentle or innocent; a person who is easily cheated
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
lam 1
(lăm)v. lammed, lam·ming, lams Slang
v.tr.
To give a thorough beating to; thrash.
v.intr.
To strike; wallop.
[Probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lemja, to cripple by beating, flog.]
lam 2
(lăm) Slangintr.v. lammed, lam·ming, lams
To escape, as from prison.
n.
Flight, especially from the law: escaped convicts on the lam.
[Origin unknown.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
lam
(læm)vb, lams, lamming or lammed
1. (tr) to thrash or beat
2. (intr; usually foll by into or out) to make a sweeping stroke or blow
[C16: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse lemja]
lam
(læm)n
1. a sudden flight or escape, esp to avoid arrest
2. on the lam
a. making an escape
b. in hiding
vb, lams, lamming or lammed
(intr) to escape or flee
[C19: perhaps from lam1 (hence, to be off)]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
lam
(læm)n., v. lammed, lam•ming. Slang. n.
1. a hasty escape.
v.i. 2. to escape.
3. to thrash
v.t. 4. to thrash.
Idioms: on the lam, Slang. hiding or in flight from the police.
[1590–1600]
Lam.
Lamentations.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
lam
Past participle: lammed
Gerund: lamming
| Imperative |
|---|
| lam |
| lam |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. | lam - a rapid escape (as by criminals); "the thieves made a clean getaway"; "after the expose he had to take it on the lam" |
| Verb | 1. |  lam - flee; take to one's heels; cut and run; "If you see this man, run!"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up"fly the coop, head for the hills, hightail it, run away, scarper, scat, take to the woods, turn tail, run, bunk, break away, escape go forth, leave, go away - go away from a place; "At what time does your train leave?"; "She didn't leave until midnight"; "The ship leaves at midnight" skedaddle - run away, as if in a panic |
| 2. | lam - give a thrashing to; beat hard |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
lam
verbSlang. To break loose and leave suddenly, as from confinement or from a difficult or threatening situation:
Informal: skip (out).
Regional: absquatulate.
Idioms: blow the coop, cut and run, give someone the slip, make a getaway, take flight, take it on the lam.
Slang. The act or an instance of escaping, as from confinement or difficulty:
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
lam
1 [læm]A. VT → pegar, dar una paliza a
B. VI to lam into sb → dar una paliza a algn
lam
2 [læm] N to be on the lam (US) → ser fugitivo de la justiciaCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007