Limp

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɪmp

From Middle English limpen, from Old English limpan ("to happen, occur, exist, belong to, suit, befit, concern"), from Proto-Germanic *limpanÄ… ("to glide, go, suit"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembÊ°- ("to hang loosely, hang limply"). Cognate with Scots limp ("to chance to be, come"), Middle Low German gelimpen ("to moderate, treat mildly"), Middle High German limfen ("to suit, become").

Full definition of limp

Verb

1. (intransitive) To happen; befall; chance.
2. (transitive) To come upon; meet.

Derived terms

• belimp

From Middle English *limp, *lemp, from Old English *lemp (found only in compound lemphealt ("limping"), from Proto-Germanic *limpanÄ… ("to hang down"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembÊ°- ("to hang loosely, hang limply"). Cognate with German lampecht ("flaccid, limp"), Icelandic lempinn, lempiligur ("pliable, gentle"). See above.

Adjective

1. flaccid; flabby, as flesh.
2. lacking stiffness; flimsy; as, a limp cravat.
3. (of a penis) not erect
4. (of a man) not having an erect penis
5. physically weak
• 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/15210221.stmAnother line-out was stolen, and when the ball was sent left Clerc stepped and spun through limp challenges from Wilkinson, Chris Ashton and Foden to dive over and make it 11-0.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To be inadequate or unsatisfactory.

Noun

1. A scraper of board or sheet-iron shaped like half the head of a small cask, used for scraping the ore off the sieve in the operation of hand-jigging.

From Middle English *limpen, from Old English *limpan, *lympan, from Proto-Germanic *limpanÄ… ("to hang down"), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembÊ°- ("to hang loosely, hang limply"). Cognate with Low German lumpen ("to limp"), German dialectal lampen ("to hang down loosely"), Icelandic limpa ("limpness, weakness").

Verb

1. (intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
• 2011, April 11, Phil McNulty, Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City, Dirk Kuyt sandwiched a goal in between Carroll's double as City endured a night of total misery, with captain Carlos Tevez limping off early on with a hamstring strain that puts a serious question mark over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley.
2. (intransitive, figuratively, of a vehicle) To travel with a malfunctioning system of propulsionThe bomber limped home on one engine.
3. (poker slang, intransitive) To call.

Derived terms

• limpard
• limper

Noun

1. An irregular, jerky or awkward gait
2. A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve
3. A code-word among Jacobites, standing for Louis XIV, James II, Queen Mary of Modena and the Prince of Wales.

Anagrams

• IPML, pilm, plim