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.
Segar’s misfit cast: As ever, Popeye is a muscle-bound mumbler and Olive Oyl an elastic lass.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
The kid gets to fall in love with a free-spirited lass.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025
She added she was grateful to Conservative Party members who gave "a young, working class lass from Sheffield the opportunity to serve as an MP".
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2022
Alma was a tall lass, and a stalwart lass, and calm.
From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2022
"What do you want from life?" asked the faerie lass.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
