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lam

The origin and history of lam.

Etymology

From Middle English lamen/lemen, going back to Old English and Old Norse roots meaning "to make lame" — the "beat" sense came first, and "flee" grew out of underworld slang in the early 1900s.

Origin: Old English · First attested 1900

Class of 1900

lam first entered the language around 1900. Other words from the same year:

See the full Class of 1900 →
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Etymology: FreeDict original editorial.