英和和英

語源 1

From 中期英語 limpen (“to fall short”), from 古期英語 limpan, from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”).

Cognate with Low German lumpen (“to limp”), Middle High German limpfen (“to hobble, limp”), dialectal German lampen (“to hang down loosely”), Icelandic limpa (“limpness, weakness”).

動詞

limp (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past and past participle limped)

1. (intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.
   • 2011 April 11, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport‎:

     Dirk Kuyt sandwiched a goal in between Carroll's double as City endured a night of total misery, with captain Carlos Tevez limping off early on with a hamstring strain that puts a serious question mark over his participation in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United at Wembley.

2. (intransitive, figurative, of a vehicle) To travel with a malfunctioning system of propulsion.

   The bomber limped home on one engine.

3. (intransitive, figurative) To move or proceed irregularly.

   limping verses

   The business limped through the recession

   • 1976 August 28, John C. Lawrence, “H.C.H.S Support”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 9, page 5:

     I think, too, of other organizations that are doing much good work for us, and maybe with words are cheered on, but when it comes to the dollars and cents, few are willing to make any sort of sacrifice to put their money where their mouth is. The National Gay Task Force is an excellent example... drawing on the support of gay people in fifty states, yet having to limp along on $65,000 a year budgets. Organizations like Christian Cause, that would wipe us out if they could, draw ten times that amount with little effort.

   • 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 121:

     And so we limped along for another month or two, pretending we still had a reason to be together.

4. (poker slang, intransitive) To call, particularly in an unraised pot pre-flop.

派生語

名詞

limp (plural limps)

1. An irregular, jerky or awkward gait.

   She walks with a limp.

2. A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve.

派生語

語源 2

From 中期英語 *limp, *lemp, from 古期英語 *lemp (recorded only in compound lemphealt (“limping”), from Proto-West Germanic *limpan, from Proto-Germanic *limpaną (“to hang down”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)lemb-, *(s)lembʰ- (“to hang loosely, hang limply”). Cognate with German lampecht (“flaccid, limp”), Icelandic lempinn, lempiligur (“pliable, gentle”). See above.

形容詞

limp (comparative limper, superlative limpest)

1. Flaccid; flabby, resembling flesh.
2. Lacking stiffness; floppy, flimsy.

   a limp rope

3. Soft; weak, in special physically weak.
   • 2011 October 8, Tom Fordyce, “Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 8 March 2025:

     Another line-out was stolen, and when the ball was sent left Clerc stepped and spun through limp challenges from Wilkinson, Chris Ashton and Foden to dive over and make it 11-0.

4. (slang, of a penis) Not erect.
5. (slang, of a man) Not having an erection.

派生語

動詞

limp (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past and past participle limped)

1. (intransitive, stative) To be inadequate or unsatisfactory.

名詞

limp (plural limps)

1. 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.

語源 3

From 中期英語 limpen, from 古期英語 limpan (“to happen, occur, exist, belong to, suit, befit, concern”).

Cognate with Scots limp (“to chance to be, come”), Middle Dutch limpen (“to happen”), Middle Low German gelimpen (“to moderate, treat mildly”), Middle High German limfen (“to suit, become”).

動詞

limp (third-person singular simple present limps, present participle limping, simple past lamp or limped, past participle lump or limped)

1. (obsolete, intransitive) To happen; befall; chance.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To come upon; meet.

派生語

• belimp

語源 4

別の表記

• Limp

成句

limp

1. (historical) Acronym of Louis XIV, James II, Queen Mary of Modena and the Prince of Wales (a code-word among Jacobites)
   • 1770, A Lee, The Political Detection: Or, the Treachery and Tyranny of Administration, Both at Home and Abroad;, page 4:

     To intimidate the people, you drew up Resolves, and an Address to his Majesty, founded on evidence from Governor Barnard, the Commissioners of Revenue, Custom-house Officers, and a few poor, expectant and dependent creatures, whom your Limp corresponds with in Boston; and thereby, having imposed upon, and deceived the legislature, sanctified your despotism, at the expence of their last Liberties;

   • 1915, Thomas Babington Macaulay Baron Macaulay, Charles Harding Firth, The History of England: From the Accession of James the Second:

     Even if he were set at liberty, what could he do but haunt Jacobite coffeehouses, squeeze oranges, and drink the health of Limp?

参照

アナグラム

• IPML, impl, pilm, plim