Verb (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past lamp or limped, past participle lump or limped)
- (intransitive) To happen; befall; chance.
- To come upon; meet.
Origin 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").
Adjective (comparative limper, superlative limpest)
- flaccid; flabby, as flesh.
- lacking stiffness; flimsy; as, a limp cravat.
- (of a penis) not erect
- (of a man) not having an erect penis
- physically weak
Verb (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past and past participle limped)
- (intransitive) To be inadequate or unsatisfactory.
Noun (plural limps)
- 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.
Origin 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.
Verb (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past and past participle limped)
- (intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
- (intransitive, figuratively, of a vehicle) To travel with a malfunctioning system of propulsion
- The bomber limped home on one engine.
- (poker slang, intransitive) To call.
Noun (plural limps)
- An irregular, jerky or awkward gait
- A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve
- A code-word among Jacobites, standing for Louis XIV, James II, Queen Mary of Modena and the Prince of Wales.
Origin 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").
