lad
1 Americannoun
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a boy or youth.
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Informal. a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man; chap.
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British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.
abbreviation
noun
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a boy or young man
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informal a familiar form of address for any male
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a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad )
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a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
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a boy or man who looks after horses
Other Word Forms
- laddish adjective
- ladhood noun
Etymology
Origin of lad
1250–1300; Middle English ladde < ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
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 is a very competitive lad," said Brook.
From BBC
"I think the lads are going to be a bit annoyed at the negative chat that's surrounding the team for the past while," legendary Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray said on the Ireland Rugby Social.
From BBC
Once just 'the lads with the brushes', their physicality has evolved the position to the extent that the curling cognoscenti consider it to now be "a sweeping game" rather than a throwing one.
From BBC
On Monday, that daydreaming lad from Lancashire raced at his fifth and final Olympics, his retirement imminent at the age of 39 after a career that has cemented his place as Britain's greatest Alpine skier.
From BBC
"It was cold, wet, muddy and difficult conditions, but the lads did really well," Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone told TNT Sports.
From BBC
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.
