[f. LAME a.; OE. had lęmian of equivalent formation (= ON. lęmja) which did not survive into ME.] trans. To make lame; to cripple.
c. 1300. Havelok, 2755. Hwan he hauede him so shamed, His hand of plat, and yuele lamed.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 1836. Þen was Coryneus a-schamed Þat he was for þe geaunt lamed.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 284. The kyng, throu his cheuelry, Wes laid at erd and lamyt bath.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 286/1. Lamyn, or make lame, acclaudico (MS. K. claudico).
1460. Lybeaus Disc., 1917. Hys stede was lamed.
1607. Shaks., Cor., IV. vii. 7. I cannot helpe it now, Vnlesse by vsing meanes I lame the foote Of our designe.
1650. W. Brough, Sacr. Princ. (1659), 219. Covetousness … lames the hand to good works.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Cock & Fox, 644. The son and heir Affronted once a cock of noble kind, And either lam’d his legs, or struck him blind.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 338. They killed eleven or twelve … and lamed as many.
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 487. A spear Down-glancing lamed the charger.
b. transf. and fig. To cripple, maim, disable.
1568. Satir. Poems Reform., xlvii. 51. Now ȝe ar lamit fra labour, I lament it.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., V. ii. 62. I neuer heard of such another Encounter; which lames Report to follow it. Ibid., Cymb., V. v. 163. For Feature, laming The shrine of Venus, or straight-pight Minerva.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. II. 129. We kept firing at her, in hopes to have lamed either Mast or Yard.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., IV. x. (1872), II. 37. The Spanish Navy got well lamed in the business.
1868. Tennyson, Lucretius, 123. My mind Stumbles, and all my faculties are lamed.
1878. E. Jenkins, Haverholme, 45. Lamed by the reticence imposed on him as a condition of his office, he had made a halting explanation.
Hence Lamed ppl. a.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1590), 293 b. His minde was euill wayted on by his lamed force, so as he receyued still more and more woundes.
1602. F. Hering, Anat., 4. One-eyed or lamed Fencers.
1839. Carlyle, Chartism, iii. (1858), 15. That was a broken reed to lean on … and did but run into his lamed right-hand.
absol. 1567. Gude & Godly Ball. (S.T.S.), 67. He haillit the seik, sair, lamit, and blinde.
