lam

Everyday

1. (slang, US) To be «on the lam» is to be running away and hiding, usually from the police. tree →
2. (informal, UK) To lam someone is to hit them hard. tree →
3. (a name) Lam is also a family name, for example in Chinese and Vietnamese families. tree →

In the lessons

Met in crime stories, old films and detective books: «on the lam» tells the reader a character has escaped and is hiding. The hitting sense is old-fashioned and rare.

Examples

• The robber has been on the lam for three weeks. tree →
• The detective found the thief who was on the lam. tree →
• The escaped prisoners went on the lam in the hills. tree →
• «Lam into him!» shouted the pirate in the old story. tree →
• Mr Lam is our new maths teacher. tree →
• After the jewel heist, the gang went on the lam. tree →

Note

Mostly used in the fixed phrase «on the lam». Past form: lammed. Do not confuse with «lamb» (a young sheep), which sounds the same but has a silent b.