Lao
noun
a member of a people of Laos and northern Thailand.
Lao
American
[lou]
/ laʊ /
noun
Laos,
plural
Lao
plural
-
a member of a people of Laos and northern Thailand.
-
the Tai language of the Lao.
adjective
LAO
1
British
abbreviation
Lao
2
British
/ laʊ /
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
Chef Ann Ahmed’s Lao restaurant is bright and airy, filled with greenery and anchored by a sprawling patio that feels like a natural extension of the dining room.
From Salon • Jun. 11, 2026
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
Hotak, 38, is an Afghan immigrant who served as a program manager at refugee resettlement organization Lao Family Community Development until layoffs due to federal cuts forced him out of work in May.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 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
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
