The twenty-third letter of the Arabic alphabet, ل (l). It is preceded by ك (k) and followed by م (m).
"The military report listed several incoming Lams that were intercepted before they could reach their targets."
Abbreviation of light antiarmor/antiarmour missile.
In plain English: A lam is an old-fashioned term for someone who has been whipped as punishment, though it rarely means anything to modern teens.
"He had to lam his car before getting caught by the police."
Usage: The noun lam refers specifically to the twenty-third letter of the Arabic alphabet. Use this term when discussing Arabic script or linguistics rather than as a verb meaning "to shine."
flee; take to one's heels; cut and run
"If you see this man, run!"
"The burglars escaped before the police showed up"
To beat or thrash.
"The angry crowd began to lam anyone who tried to leave the stadium before the game ended."
A surname, from Cantonese.
"The famous chef at the new restaurant is Lam."
The word "lam" comes from Middle English and Old English roots that also appear in Old Norse. These forms originally meant to lame or disable someone's leg.