n.
Pronunciation: ' le-m ə
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural lemmas or lem · ma · ta \ -m ə -t ə \
Etymology: Latin, from Greek l ē mma thing taken, assumption, from lambanein to take ― more at LATCH
Date: 1570
1 : an auxiliary proposition used in the demonstration of another proposition
2 : the argument or theme of a composition prefixed as a title or introduction also : the heading or theme of a comment or note on a text
3 : a glossed word or phrase