Meaning
One beloved; a lover, a sweetheart of either sex (especially a secret lover; a gallant or mistress).
Etymology
Origin: Old English
From Middle English lemman, variant of leofman, from Old English *lēofmann ("lover; sweetheart"; attested as a personal name), equivalent to lief + man ("beloved person"). In the past, incorrectly asserted to derive from French l'aimant (“the [male] lover”).
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2023, 2025, 2026.