Definition of "lemma" in English

noun

1. (mathematics) A proposition proved or accepted for immediate use in the proof of some other proposition.

2. (linguistics, lexicography) The canonical form of an inflected word; i.e., the form usually found as the headword in a dictionary, such as the nominative singular of a noun, the bare infinitive of a verb, etc.

   • Holonym: lexeme (holonymous sense)
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:lemma.

3. (psycholinguistics) The theoretical abstract conceptual form of a word, representing a specific meaning, before the creation of a specific phonological form as the sounds of a lexeme, which may find representation in a specific written form as a dictionary or lexicographic word.

noun

1. (botany) The outer shell of a fruit or similar body.

2. (botany) One of the specialized bracts around the floret in grasses.