Emily Dickinson Lexicon

LAM'ISH, a.

Somewhat lame. – Wood.

LAMM, v.t.

To beat. [Not in use.] – Beaum.

LAM'MAS, n. [Sax. hlammæsse, from hlafmæsse, loaf-mass, bread-feast, or feast of first fruits. Lye.]

The first day of August. – Bacon.

LAM'MER-GEIR, n.

The Gypaetos barbarus, the largest bird of prey in Europe, Asia or Africa, inhabiting chains of high mountains.

LAMP, n. [Fr. lampe; L. lampas; Gr. λαμπας, from λαμπω, to shine; Heb. and Ch. לפיד. Qu.]

1. A vessel for containing oil to be burned by means of a wick; or a light, a burning wick inserted in a vessel of oil. Hence,
2. Figuratively, a light of any kind. The moon is called the lamp of heaven. Thy gentle eyes send forth a quickening spirit, / To feed the dying lump of life within me. – Rowe. Lamp of safety, or safety lamp, a lamp for lighting coal mines, without exposing workmen to the explosion of inflammable air. – Davy.

LAMP'A-DIST, n.

One who gained the prize in the lampadrome.

LAMP'A-DROME, n. [Gr. λαμπας, and δρομος.]

In Athens, a race by young men, with lamps in their hands. The one who arrived at the goal first, with his lamp unextinguished, gained the prize. – Elmes.

LAM'PAS, n. [Fr.]

An accidental swelling of the fleshy lining of the roof of the mouth immediately behind the fore teeth in the horse, which soon subsides if left to itself.

LAMP'ATE, n.

A compound salt, composed of lampic acid and a base. – Ure.

LAMP'BLACK, n. [lamp and black; being originally made by means of a lamp or torch.]

A fine soot formed by the condensation of the smoke of burning oil, pitch or resinous substances, in a chimney terminating in a cone of cloth. – Fourcroy.

LAMP'IC, a.

The lampic acid is obtained by the combustion of ether by means of a lamp. – Ure.

LAMP'ING, a. [It. lampante.]

Shining; sparkling. [Not used.] – Spenser.

LAMP'LIGHT, n.

Light from a lamp.

LAM-POON', n. [Qu. Old Fr. lamper.]

A personal satire in writing; abuse; censure written to reproach and vex rather than to reform. – Johnson. Dryden. Pope.

LAM-POON', v.t.

To abuse with personal censure; to reproach in written satire.

LAM-POON'ED, pp.

Abused with personal satire.

LAM-POON'ER, n.

One who abuses with personal satire; the writer of a lampoon. The squibs are those who are called libelers, lampooners, and pamphleteers. – Taller.

LAM-POON'ING, ppr.

Abusing with personal satire.

LAM-POON'RY, n.

Abuse.

LAM'PREL, n. [See Lamprey.]

LAM'PREY, n. [Fr. lamproie; Sax. lampræda; G. lamprete; D. lamprei; Dan. lampret; Sp. and Port. lamprea; It. lampreda; W. lleiprog; Arm. lamprezenn. In. Arm. lampra signifies to slip or glide. In Welsh, lleipiaw, is to lick or lap, and lleipraw, to make flabby. If m is casual, which is probable, the Armoric lampra for lapra, coincides with L. labor, to slip, and most probably the animal is named from slipping. If, however, the sense is taken from licking the rocks; as Camden supposes, it accords with the sense of the technical name of the genus Petromyzon, the rock-sucker.]

The popular name of several species of Petromyzon, a genus of anguilliform fishes, resembling the eel, and moving in water by winding, like the serpent on land. This fish has seven spiracles on each side of the neck, and a fistula or aperture on the top of the head, but no pectoral or ventral fins. The marine or sea lamprey is sometimes found so large as to weigh four or five pounds. – Encyc.

LAM'PRON, n. [See Lamprey.]

LA'NATE, or LAN'A-TED, a. [L. lanatus from lana, wool.]

Wooly. In botany, covered with a substance like curled hairs; as, a lanated leaf or stem.

LANCE, n. [làns; L. lancea; Fr. lance; Sp. lanza; It. lancia; G. lanze; D. Sw. lans; Dan. lantse; Slav. lanzha; Gr. λογχη. This word probably belongs to Class Lg, and is named from shooting, sending.]

A spear, an offensive weapon in form of a half pike, used by the ancients and thrown by the hand. It consisted of the shaft or handle, the wings and the dart. – Encyc.

LANCE, v.t. [Arm. lançza, to shoot, to vomit.]

1. To pierce with a lance or with a sharp pointed instrument. Seized the due victim, and with fury lanc'd / Her back. – Dryden.
2. To pierce or cut; to open with a lancet; as, to lance a vein or an abscess.