Added 9 October 2026
lemma
/ˈlɛmə/ noun
In Latin: lēmma Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lemma at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A subsidiary proposition that is assumed to be true in order to prove another proposition.
- The lower and stouter of the two glumes immediately enclosing the floret in most Gramineae.
- The heading that indicates the subject of an annotation or a literary composition or a dictionary entry.
Origin
Borrowed from Ancient Greek λῆμμᾰ (lêmmă, “premise, assumption”), from the same root as λᾰμβᾰ́νω (lămbắnō, “to take”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)