lam

UK: /ˈlæm/ US: /læm/ ,(lam)

Inflections of 'lam' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

lams

v 3rd person singular

lamming

v pres p

lammed

v past

lammed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

lam¹ /læm/   n., v., lammed, lam•ming. [Slang.]
n. [countable]

1. Slang Terms a hasty escape;
   flight.

v. [no object]

2. Slang Terms to run away quickly;
   escape;
   flee:
   The crooks lammed out of there as fast as they could.

Idioms

3. Idioms on the lam, [Slang.] hiding or in flight from the police.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

lam¹  (lam), v., lammed, lam•ming. [Slang.]
v.t. 

1. Slang Terms to beat;
   thrash.

v.i. 
2. Slang Terms to beat;
   strike;
   thrash (usually fol. by out or into).
• Old Norse lamdi, past tense of lemja to beat; akin to lame¹
• 1590–1600

lam²  (lam), n., v., lammed, lam•ming. [Slang.]
n. 

1. Slang Terms a hasty escape;
   flight.
2. Slang Terms, Idioms on the lam, escaping, fleeing, or hiding, esp. from the police:
   He's been on the lam ever since he escaped from jail.
3. Slang Terms, Idioms take it on the lam, to flee or escape in great haste:
   The swindler took it on the lam and was never seen again.

v.i. 
4. Slang Terms to run away quickly;
   escape;
   flee:
   I'm going to lam out of here as soon as I've finished.
• special use of lam¹. Compare beat it! be off! 1885–90

lām  (läm), n. 

1. the 23rd letter of the Arabic alphabet.
• Arabic; see lambda

Lam  (läm, lam), n. 

Wi•fre•do  (wi frā′dō) or Wil•fre•do  (wil frā′dō), 1902–82, Cuban painter in Europe.

Lam., 

1. Bible Lamentations.

lam., 

1. laminated.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lam / læm/ verb (lams, lamming, lammed)

1. (transitive) to thrash or beat
2. (intr; usually followed by into or out) to make a sweeping stroke or blow

Etymology: 16th Century: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse lemja

lam / læm/ noun

1. a sudden flight or escape, esp to avoid arrest
2. on the lam ⇒ making an escape

Etymology: 19th Century: perhaps from lam¹ (hence, to `beat it')

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Lam. abbreviation

1. Lamentations