/ ˈlemə; NAmE / noun ( pl. lem·mas or lem·mata / -mətə; NAmE /)
1.
( technical ) a statement that is assumed to be true in order to test the truth of another statement
2.
( linguistics ) the basic form of a word, for example the singular form of a noun or the infinitive form of a verb, as it is shown at the beginning of a dictionary entry
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek lēmma something assumed; related to lambanein take.