lass
Americannoun
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a girl or young woman, especially one who is unmarried.
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a female sweetheart.
a young lad and his lass.
noun
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a girl or young woman
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informal a familiar form of address for any female
Etymology
Origin of lass
1250–1300; Middle English las, lasse, of uncertain origin
Explanation
A lass is a girl. Your Scottish folk dance teacher might announce, "Lads line up on that side, lasses on this side!" Lass is an old-fashioned way to say "young girl," and it's more common in parts of Britain than in the US. You're most likely to hear this word in Scotland and the north of England, although lass is most likely rooted in Scandinavian languages, like the Old Swedish løsk kona, "unmarried woman," or the Old Norse löskr, "idle or weak."
Vocabulary lists containing lass
As You Like It
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One for the Murphys
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Mirror, Mirror
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He chose the name "Ossick Lass," using local dialect meaning "Urswick girl."
From Science Daily • May 20, 2026
Lass: We live in the mountains and were bored.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2025
Neither law enforcement agency mentioned a cause of death for Ms. Lass or whether the rest of her body was found.
From Washington Times • Dec. 28, 2023
Mr Connor responded to the mayday call from his boat the Causeway Lass.
From BBC • Aug. 20, 2023
So was the French driver, who was tired of being shouted at in English by a Slip of a Lass younger than his own daughter.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
