lad
noun
a boy or youth.
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lad
1 American
[lad]
/ læd /
noun
-
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.
LAD
2
American
abbreviation
Psycholinguistics.
lad
British
/ læd /
noun
-
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
Etymology
Origin of lad
1250–1300; Middle English ladde < ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
Explanation
Lad is another word for a boy or a young man. A man who's been hit with a water balloon might turn around to a group of giggling boys and ask, "All right, which of you lads did that?" You can use the casual lad instead of guy, fellow, or chap. This word is much more common in Britain than in the U.S., although everyone understands what it means. Someone in London might talk about going out on the town with "the lads," while in Boston people are more likely to say they're meeting "the guys." Lad, originally spelled ladde, first meant "foot soldier," or "young servant."
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.
They were also brought against financial controller Pritesh Mistry and financial consultant Nileshkumar Lad.
From BBC • Sep. 13, 2023
“It’s still very much the early days, but as a proof of concept in a human being, I think it’s a huge step forward,” says Nandan Lad, a neurosurgeon at Duke University.
From Science Magazine • May 24, 2023
Most were listed only by their gender and first name, including Man Jack, Lad George, Woman Viner, Girl Fanny and Boy Abraham.
From Washington Post • Mar. 15, 2023
Jireh Washington’s layup put the Lad Mavs on top 74-73 with four minutes to go.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 20, 2022
Luther was assigned to a lumbering, uncoordinated colt named Vesper Lad, while Graham w'as up on Irish Princess II. At the last minute the trainer reversed the assignments.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
