ˌlame ˈduck noun [countable]

1. a person, business etc that is having problems and needs help

2. lame duck president/governor/legislature etc informal a president, governor etc with no real power because his or her period in office will soon end

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

lame duck
1.
a person or company that is in trouble and needs help.
In under two years, it was transformed from a state-owned lame duck into a successful company. (mainly American)

2.
someone, especially an elected official, who cannot influence events any more, often because their job is going to end soon.
The Mayor intends to run for re-election to avoid being thought of as a lame duck.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

lame-duck
[mainly American]
a lame duck - someone, especially an elected official, who cannot influence events any more, often because their job is going to end soon.
Having lost control of Congress, he was in danger of becoming a lame-duck president.
(always before noun)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

lame duck
a politician who has little time left in office and therefore has little power
The politician is a lame-duck leader and he is not effective at all.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲

lame duck
n., informal An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat diminished powers.
In the last year of their second terms, American presidents are lame ducks.

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲