Obs. Also 5 lakk, 6 lacks. [ad. or cogn. with ON. lak-r:—OTeut. *lako-, cogn. with LACK sb.1 The mod.Du. lak insipid, luxurious, may possibly be connected.]
1. Of a quantity in measurement: Short, wanting.
1479. Surtees, Misc. (1890), 20. vj yerdes, ane ynche lakk.
1589. Acc. Bk. W. Wray, in Antiquary, XXXII. 79. A yeard lacke nale tufte taffete, iijs. iijd.
1644. Nye, Gunnery, 2nd Alphab. (1670), 16. Your degree of Random is four and three quarters, or five lack one quarter.
b. Little lack of: not far short of (a specified condition).
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., May, 264. Sicke, sicke, alas, and little lack of dead.
2. Missing.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., XVII. xxviii. When he found his wife and men were lack.
3. Sc. Deficient in quality, inferior, poor.
14[?]. How Good Wife taught Dau., 56, in Barbour’s Bruce. And hear honour, bettir thing, And lawar stat, lakar clething.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 98. The lakest ship, that is his flot within, May sayll us doun on to a dulfull ded.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. 534. Diuers vthers … Quhais lakkest weed was silkis ouir brouderit.
1582–8. Hist. Jas. VI. (1804), 245. As to the laik money printed at his awin comand before he was Regent.
