lam — to flee hastily; to escape quickly
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to flee hastily; to escape quickly
Pronunciation (IPA): /læm/
Example Sentences
- After pranking his boss, Tom had to lam before getting fired.
- The cat decided to lam when it saw the vacuum cleaner.
- The celebrity went on the lam to avoid the paparazzi.
lam
VERB[/læm/]
to flee hastily; to escape quickly
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Originating from 19th-century American slang, 'lam' evolved from the meaning 'to beat or strike' to 'to move quickly,' eventually developing the sense of 'to flee hastily' or 'to escape.' The word's semantic shift reflects the intensification from physical impact to rapid movement.
Breakdown
The word developed through semantic evolution: beat/hit → move quickly → flee. The morphological root remains unclear from standard etymology sources, but the semantic progression suggests influence from onomatopoeia or verb forms associated with sudden, forceful action.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“After pranking his boss, Tom had to lam before getting fired.”
“The cat decided to lam when it saw the vacuum cleaner.”
“The celebrity went on the lam to avoid the paparazzi.”
“When mom found the broken vase, the kids had already decided to lam.”
📚Related Words
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