lamium

[Lat. the dead nettle, from Gr. laimos the throat. The genus received its name from the shape of the flowers.] Bot.: Dead nettle; a genus of Labiate, family Lamide (q. v.). It consists of hairy plants, with many whorls or leafy bracteate heads of flowers. Calyx tubular or sub campanulate, with five teeth; upperlip of the corolla arched, lower trifid, spreading; stamens four; anthers converging in pairs, the cells diverging. Thirty-five species are known. Lamium purpureum , L. intermedium , L. amplexi caule , L. album , and L. galeobdolon are the best known. lămm, *lămb, *lăm, v . t . [Icel. lemja to beat; lama to bruise; A. S. læman to thrash; Icel. lamning a beating.] To beat soundly; to thrash. [LAM.] "A fellow whom he lambed most horribly." -Mi on : Travels in England , p. 306. Lăm-mas, *Lam-ma e, s. & a. [A. S. hláfmæ e, hlæmmæ e, from hláf = a loaf, mæ e = a ma .] A. As subst .: The first day of August, so called because on that day, in Anglo-Saxon times, a loaf was offered as an offering of first-fruits. B. As adj .: Belonging or pertaining to the first day of August. Shipley ( Glo . Eccles . Terms ) considers Lammas an abridgment of Vincula ma , or, the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula , in commemoration of his deliverance from chains, which is celebrated on August 1st. At Latter Lammas: Never: equivalent to "Greek kalends." Lammas-day, s. The first of August; Laramas. Lammas-eve, s. The eve of Lammas-day; the thirty-first of July. Lammas-tide, subst . (q. v.). Lammas-time or season "She is not fourteen; how long is it now To Lammas - tide ?" Shakesp.: Romeo and Juliet , i. 3. *lăm'-mēr, *lam-er, *laum-er, s. & a. [Perhaps for l'ammer , a Frenchified form of amber .] A. As subst .: Amber. B. As adj .: Made of amber. "A grogram gown, lammer beads, and a clean cockernony." -scott: Bride of Lammer moor , ch. xii.