lameness

Other forms: lamenesses

A state of being unable to walk because of leg or foot pain is lameness. Your old dog's lameness will make it hard for him to walk up stairs, and you'll probably end up carrying him.

The word lameness is most often used to describe animals that are injured or ill and unable to walk without limping. For some animals, like horses, lameness is a sign of extreme pain and is considered a very serious symptom. Your puppy's lameness may be nothing more than a burr in her paw. Lameness and lame come from a Proto-Germanic word meaning "weak-limbed" or, literally, "broken."

Definitions of lameness

1. noun

   disability of walking due to crippling of the legs or feet
   synonyms: claudication, gameness, gimp, gimpiness, limping

   types:

   intermittent claudication

   lameness due to pain in leg muscles because the blood supply is inadequate; pain subsides with rest

   type of:

   disability of walking

   a disability that interferes with or prevents walking
2. noun

   an imperfection or defectiveness
   “a stylist noted for the lameness of his plots”

   type of:

   defectiveness, faultiness

   the state of being defective