adjective / verb
lame
Having or causing difficulty walking through injury or disability.
The horse is lame and needs to rest its injured leg.
Etymology
The inherited adjective describes impaired use of a limb. The verb developed from that condition to causing such an injury or limitation.
More examples
- A fall on the ice lamed the dog for weeks.
- The mare goes lame whenever she puts weight on that hoof.
- The vet examines the calf's lame leg.
Forms
lame · lamer · lamest · lames · lamed · laming
lameness noun — Difficulty walking normally because of injury or disability.