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
"There's no one quite like Judi. For her acting is playing: she's a lass unparalleled," he told the paper.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
Alma was a tall lass, and a stalwart lass, and calm.
From Washington Post • Nov. 10, 2022
‘Wolfwalkers’ A young lass in 17th century Ireland has a mystical adventure in this folklore-infused, family-friendly 2020 animated fantasy.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 14, 2022
“Yo, I hear that. All right, you know that taped-up paper bag I left wi’choo lass night?”
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
