Lamest

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Lame \Lame\ (l[=a]m), a. [Compar. {Lamer} (l[=a]m"[~e]r);
     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.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Hence, hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect; as, a
        lame answer. "A lame endeavor." --Barrow.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              O, most lame and impotent conclusion! --Shak.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Lame duck}
        (a) (Stock Exchange), a person who can not fulfill his
            contracts. [Cant]
        (b) An elected politician who is completing a term after
            having been defeated at an election; also, an office
            holder who cannot or chooses not to run again for the
            same office; -- So called from the presumed lack of
            political power of one who is soon to be out of
            office.
        (b) Any office holder who is serving out a term after a
            replacement has been selected.
            [1913 Webster +PJC]