Forms: 6 lampysse, 6–7 lampasse, 7 vulg. lamprey(e)s, 8 lampars, lampra(y)s, lampus, 8–9 lampers, 6– lampas. [a. F. lampas (in 16th c. also lampast), in 12–15th c. gen., a disease producing intense thirst (e.g., attributed to ‘Dives’ in hell), later only a disease of horses.
The origin is obscure. The primary sense may be ‘inside of the mouth’: this is not proved by the existence of the phrase humecter le lampas ‘to whet one’s whistle,’ but cf. lampassé (Her.) ‘langued’ (see LAMPASSING); some Fr. dialect glossaries, also, have the word with the sense ‘uvula.’ Florio has It. lampasco as the name of the disease, and Littré cites a Fr. dial. form empas, which is due to mistake of the initial l for the article.]
A disease incident to horses, consisting in a swelling of the fleshy lining of the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth.
1583. Fitzherb., Husb., § 81. In the mouthe is the lampas, & is a thycke skyn full of bloude, hangynge ouer his tethe aboue, that he may not eate.
1547. Salesbury, Welsh Dict. Mintag, Lampysse.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. ii. 52. His horse … troubled with the Lampasse.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 282. The Lampass, called of the Italians, Lampascus, proceedeth of the abundance of bloud.
1702. Lond. Gaz., No. 3868/4. A Strawberry Gelding with a bald Face,… newly burnt of the Lampus.
1741. Compl. Fam. Piece, III. 446. Let a Smith burn it down with a hot Iron; this is a compleat Cure for the Lampars.
1772. Nugent, trans. Hist. Fr. Gerund, II. 418. My girl thy cuzzen Isidora first of all had the lamprays or soare mouth, then she had the small-pox.
1828. Sporting Mag., XXIII. 127. The Lampas is … a swelling … of some of the lowermost ridges or bars of the palate.
1884. Manch. Even. News, 14 May, 2/5. He mentioned to the defendant that the horse did not eat well and said it was suffering from ‘lampas.’
