hamble

Meaning

Verb

• To mutilate; hamstring; cut away.
• To cut out the balls of the feet of (dogs) so as to render them unfit for hunting.
• To walk lame; limp.

Origin

• From Middle English hamelen, from Old English hamelian ("to hamstring, mutilate"), from Proto-Germanic *hamalōną, *hamlōną, from Proto-Indo-European *kem- ("mutilated, hornless"). Cognate with German hammeln, hämmeln, Icelandic hamla ("to mutilate, maim"), Dutch hamel ("wether").