adjective
Street Slang
on the lam
on-thuh-LAM · adjective · slang
On the run from the police.
0
Definitions
1
To be on the lam is to be a fugitive, fleeing or hiding from law enforcement. To 'take it on the lam' is to run.
“He'd been on the lam for months, moving from town to town.”
by community
0
on the lam In A Sentence
He'd been on the lam for months, moving from town to town.
Origin & Usage
American slang, c.1900; from 'lam,' to beat/run, of Scandinavian origin.
Variants
on the lamb
People Also Ask
What does 'on the lam' mean?
To be on the lam is to be a fugitive, fleeing or hiding from law enforcement.
Where does 'on the lam' come from?
It is American slang from around 1900, from 'lam,' meaning to beat or run, of Scandinavian origin.
Is it 'on the lam' or 'on the lamb'?
The correct spelling is 'on the lam.' 'On the lamb' is a common misspelling, since the two sound identical.
Comments 0