Definitions

1. noun

plural of lemma, specifically in mathematics, a lemma is a proven statement used to prove another statement, or in the humanities, a lemma is a citation or reference in a footnote

“The mathematician used several lemmata to prove the complex theorem.”

2. noun

a small statement or proposition in a scholion or a commentary, especially in ancient Greek manuscripts

“The scholiast explained the lemmata in the margins of the ancient text.”

3. noun

a short note or comment, especially in a book or manuscript

“The lemmata in the margins provided valuable insights into the author’s intentions.”