Limp has 12 different meanings across 4 categories:
An irregular, jerky or awkward gait.
"The miner adjusted his limp to efficiently scrape the remaining ore from the sieve during the morning shift."
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.
In plain English: A limp is an uneven way of walking caused by pain or injury to your leg.
"The old man walked with a limp after breaking his leg."
To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
"It is rare that such a coincidence would ever limp across our path again."
To be inadequate or unsatisfactory.
To happen; befall; chance.
In plain English: To limp means to walk with an unsteady gait because of pain or injury.
"The old man had to limp home after he twisted his ankle playing soccer."
Usage: Use "limp" to describe a person's movement rather than an object's condition; for instance, say the floor is "sloppy" instead of describing it as having a limp. Avoid using this verb metaphorically for non-biological entities unless clearly indicating a mechanical failure that mimics human lameness.
flaccid; flabby, like flesh.
"The old man's skin hung loosely and looked limp against his bony frame."
In plain English: Limp describes something that is soft, weak, and not firm enough to hold its shape properly.
"He wore his shoes until they were worn and limp from all the walking."
Acronym of Louis XIV, James II, Queen Mary of Modena and the Prince of Wales. (a code-word among Jacobites)
"The conspirators whispered that their secret meeting was simply a limp to avoid drawing suspicion from the authorities."
The word "limp" comes from the Old English limpan, which originally meant to fall short or be deficient. Over time, its meaning shifted in Middle English to describe moving with a dragging gait caused by hanging loosely.