lam off
C1 slang inseparable intransitive
In simple words
To run away fast, usually to escape getting caught.
Literal meaning: 'Lam' may derive from a Scandinavian word meaning to beat — 'lam off' suggests beating a quick path away from danger.
Meanings
1 C1
idiomatic
slang
To escape or flee quickly, especially from the authorities.
"The thieves lammed off before the police arrived."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Rare in modern English. Related to the expression 'on the lam' (fleeing from justice). Primarily North American slang. Most native speakers would use 'make off', 'run off', or 'take off' instead.
Commonly used with
police trouble scene creditors chase
Forms
Base
lam off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
lams off
he/she/it
Past simple
lamed off
yesterday
Past participle
lamed off
have + pp
-ing form
laming off
continuous
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