limp

Etymology 1

From Middle English limpen (“to fall short”), from Old English 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”).

verb

1. (intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favouring one leg.
   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. April 11, 2011, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 3 - 0 Man City”, in BBC Sport
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.
   And so we limped along for another month or two, pretending we still had a reason to be together. 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 121
   limping verses
   The business limped through the recession
4. (poker slang, intransitive) To call, particularly in an unraised pot pre-flop.

noun

1. An irregular, jerky or awkward gait.
   She walks with a limp.
2. A scraper for removing poor ore or refuse from the sieve.

Etymology 2

From Middle English *limp, *lemp, from Old English *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.

adj

1. flaccid; flabby, like flesh.
2. lacking stiffness; flimsy
   a limp rope
3. (of a penis) not erect
4. (of a man) not having an erect penis
5. physically weak
   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. 2011, Tom Fordyce, Rugby World Cup 2011: England 12-19 France

verb

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

noun

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.

Etymology 3

From Middle English limpen, from Old English 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”).

verb

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