verb Uncommon

lam

Lam (verb) means to hit or beat someone hard. Example: “He threatened to lam anyone who touched his bike.”

verb

To hit or beat someone hard.

"He threatened to lam anyone who touched his bike."

To run away or flee, especially from the police.

"The suspect lammed out the back door the moment sirens sounded."

noun

An escape or flight, especially from custody or the law — chiefly in the phrase "on the lam."

"He'd been on the lam for six months before they caught him."

How to use lam

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither to hit someone hard, or to make a run for it — most commonly heard today in the phrase "on the lam," meaning hiding from the law.

Common pairings

on the lam lam out of here

Word forms

lammed past tense, lams plural, lams plural, Lams plural, lams singular

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He threatened to _____ anyone who touched his bike.

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 joined the language around 1900.

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Synonyms

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run escape bunk getaway thrash scat flail thresh scarper run away turn tail break away

Related words

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Rhymes for lam

flam slam clam glam blam

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Frequently asked questions

What does “lam” mean?

The word “lam” means to hit or beat someone hard. In plain terms, either to hit someone hard, or to make a run for it — most commonly heard today in the phrase "on the lam," meaning hiding from the law.

How do you pronounce “lam”?

“Lam” is pronounced lam (/læm/ in IPA).

How do you use “lam” in a sentence?

Here is “lam” used in a sentence: “He threatened to lam anyone who touched his bike.”

What part of speech is “lam”?

Depending on how it is used, “lam” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “lam” come from?

The word “lam” dates back to around 1900 and comes from Old English. 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.

Is “lam” a common word?

“Lam” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “lam” have?

“Lam” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to hit or beat someone hard.

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