Lao

American

[lou] / laʊ /

noun

plural

Laos,

plural

Lao

a member of a people of Laos and northern Thailand.
the Tai language of the Lao.

adjective

of or relating to the Lao or their language.

LAO ¹ British

abbreviation

Laos (international car registration)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Lao ² British

/ laʊ /

adjective

another name for Laotian

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Lao

First recorded in 1880–85; from Lao Láo, a self-designation

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.

Honworld Group, the holding company for cooking wine and soy sauce maker Lao Heng He in Zhejiang province, said household spending was weaker than expected, leading other brands to unload inventory at low prices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Lao media later reported that the body of the Lao woman Pany Her and a one-year-old child were found, separately, near Luang Prabang.

From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025

People joke that the abbreviation Lao PDR means "Lao Please Don't Rush".

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu wrote, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2025

Her indignation came to her in English, even as she recalled a Chinese saying, Lao xu cbeng nu — constant shame becomes anger.

From "Typical American" by Gish Jen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023