Lame (lām), a. [Compar. Lamer (lāmˈẽr); superl. Lamest.] [OE. lame, AS. lama; akin to D. lam, G. lahm, OHG., Dan., & Sw. lam, Icel. lami, Russ. lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.]
1. (a) Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury, defect, or temporary obstruction of a function; as, “a lame leg, arm, or muscle”. (b) To some degree disabled by reason of the imperfect action of a limb; crippled; as, “a lame man”. “Lame of one leg.” Arbuthnot. “Lame in both his feet.” 2 Sam. ix. 13. “He fell, and became lame.” 2 Sam. iv. 4.
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2. Hence, hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect; as, “a lame answer”. “A lame endeavor.” Barrow.
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O, most lame and impotent conclusion! Shak.
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Lame duck (a) (Stock Exchange), a person who can not fulfill his contracts. [Cant] (b) An elected politician who is completing a term after having been defeated at an election; also, an office holder who cannot or chooses not to run again for the same office; -- So called from the presumed lack of political power of one who is soon to be out of office. (b) Any office holder who is serving out a term after a replacement has been selected.
[1913 Webster +PJC]