Lammed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have struck or hit something forcefully
2. to have collided with great intensity
3. to have moved or traveled swiftly or energetically in a direction

Etymology: Before it meant running away, "lam" meant to beat someone so badly that they were crippled. It descends from Middle English "lemen", "to lame", which came from the Old English word for making someone lame, so the older sense was about physical injury. "Lammed" is the past form of that verb. The sense "rushed quickly ahead" grew out of the older meaning of "lam" to thrash or strike. Over time it shifted from attacking someone to moving away from them fast. That later sense is strongest in American English, where "on the lam", meaning in hurried flight, is the familiar phrase.

Synonyms: hit, struck, slammed, banged, whacked

Antonyms: missed, avoided, dodged, evaded, escaped