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 emblem, the Paschal Lamb. In allusion to this device, and with a bitterly ironical meaning, these men, the rudest and most ferocious in the English army, were called Kirke's lambs.'

1891. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 23 Jan. Merryman had pitched on a nice level bit of turf. It was a noisy crowd—that goes without saying—for where the Nottingnam lambs are you can hardly expect much peace and quietness.

3. (colloquial).—A term of endearment.

1595. Shakspeare, Romeo and Juliet, i. 3. What, lamb! what, ladybird!

1621. Burton, Anat. (ed. 1893), iii. 183. Pleasant names may be invented, bird, mouse, lamb, puss.

1690. Davenant, Love & Honour, v. 1. We must make haste! Farewell, lamb!

4. (common).—An elderly person dressed or got-up young.

5. See Pet Lamb.

6. (military).—See Kirke's Lambs.

Verb. (old).—To beat. Also Lam, Lambaste, Lamback and Lambeake. Cf. Lamming.

1555. Disc. of New World, 115 [Nares]. While the men are faine to beare off with eares, head, and shoulders. Happy may they call that daie whereon they are not lambeaked before night.

1591. Nashe, Wond. Prog. [Grosart (1885), ii. 159]. Tall fellows armed with good cudgels, shall so lambeake these stubborne huswiues, that the wind shall turn into another quarter.

1592. Harvey, Four Letters [Grosart (1885), i. 183]. One, which should massacre Martin's wit, or should be lambackd himself.

1600. Decker, Shoem. Holiday, in Works (1873), i. 68. Oh if they had staid I would have so lamb'd them with flouts.

1601. Munday & Chettle, Death of Rob. E. of Hunt., sign. K. 1. [Nares]. First, with this hand wound thus about here haire, And with this dagger lustilie lambackt, I would, y faith.

1613. Beaumont & Fletcher, Honest Man's Fortune, v. 2. If I had been acquainted with lamming in my youth I should do better.

1637. Davenant, Britannia Triumphans [Paterson, ii. 82]. Whine not, my love; his fury streight will waste him; Stand off awhile, and see how He lambaste him.

1690. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, s.v. Lambaste, to beat soundly.

1710. Misson, Travels in England, p. 306. A fellow whom he lambed most horribly.

1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.

1731. Coffey, Devil to Pay, Sc. v. Come, hussy, leave fooling or else I'll lamb you.

1733. Fielding, Don Quixote, ii. 6. Sirrah, I am able to beat a dozen of you.—If I don't lamb thee!

1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.). Lamb (v.) to thresh or beat severely.

1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Lamb or lambaste, to beat.

1811. Lex. Bal., s.v.

1812. Smith (H. and J.), Rejected Addresses, xx. I would pummel and lam her well.

b. 1852. Traits of American Humour, 50. If he seed er fellow he thought he could lamm without no danger, he wouldn't make no bone, but he'd just go up to the chap and make faces at him.

1859. Matsell, Vocabulum, s.v. Lamb, to beat with a club.

1864. Eton School Days, xxvi. 291. The partial thrashing which he had himself received only made him the more anxious for revenge on Ravenous. 'Lam into him!' said Lascelles.

1872. S. L. Clemens ('Mark Twain'), Roughing It. He could lamm any galoot of his inches in America.

1882. F. Anstey, Vice-Versâ, iv. 'Let him undress now, and we can lam it into him afterwards with slippers.'

1887. Henley, Villon's Good Night. Paste 'em, and larrup 'em, and lamn.

1889. Lic. Vict. Gaz., 18 Jan. Still the little 'uns lammed into each other.