Sekirov Dictionary

lame duck

noun 4
verb 1
forms 4

noun4

•
(informal) A person or thing that is helpless, inefficient, or disabled.
- Reflecting on this in our 800th issue seven years ago, RAIL said the broad government view in 1981 was that BR [British Rail] was a lame duck. — 2024
•
An elected official who has lost the recent election or is not eligible for reelection and is marking time until leaving office.
- Congressman Jones was a lame duck and did not vote on many issues that were important to his constituents.
A server that continues to serve ongoing requests while refusing new ones, allowing for graceful shutdown.
(slang, old-fashioned) A person who cannot fulfill their contracts.

verb1

(informal) To behave in the manner of a lame duck.

forms

lame ducked · lame ducking · lame ducks · lame-ducks

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