0 an unsuccessful person or thing
1 an elected official whose power is reduced because the person who will replace them has already been elected
2 a person who still has time to serve in an elected position despite not being elected again in a recent election, with the result that the person has no real power
3 an unsuccessful person, thing, or organization:
A lot of time and effort goes into supporting employees who are essentially lame ducks.
This is regarded by many as a lame-duck initiative that has failed to deliver its promises.
4 an elected official whose power is reduced because the person who will replace them has already been elected:
5 a person in a position of authority in a company or organization whose power is reduced because their time in the job is about to end:
It's frustrating that the present MD is a lame duck and can't really change anything very much.
Finally, highly fractionalised parties in government enervated the authority of the executive and rendered prime ministers vulnerable to the problem of the lame duck.
Therefore, in a perfect election, during the sitting president's lame duck period, the president-elect usually signals only obliquely that there will be a ritual burial of the predecessor.
It is far from being a lame duck.
I wish to make clear that, in the longer term, the industry does not regard itself as a lame duck.
It started with the famous "lame duck" speech.
Certainly the philosophy of the "lame duck" cannot be applied to this area, unless we are to accept the gravest political consequences.
In other words, the lame duck policy was put into operation.
I am afraid that on this occasion he has not only produced a lame duck but has gilded it with taxpayers' money.