lass
[las]
- a girl or young woman, especially one who is unmarried.
- a female sweetheart: a young lad and his lass.
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Origin of lass
1250–1300; Middle English las, lasse, of uncertain origin
lassi
[las-ee, luhs-ee]
- an Indian beverage of yogurt or buttermilk, water, and spices, often with the addition of fruit or sweetener.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for lasses
Contemporary Examples
The trilogy follows Kate and Baba, two lasses from the Shannon bogs, from convent school to the bright lights of London.
Historical Examples
And the lasses are worse than the men, with their fashions and foldololls.
The ChristianHall Caine
The citizens, lads and lasses, old men and dames, got into the boat.
The Shadow of a CrimeHall Caine
Golden lads and lasses must, like chimney-sweepers, turn to dust.
Literary Tours in The Highlands and Islands of ScotlandDaniel Turner Holmes
They know how to pitch you out a letter, those Belgian lasses.
Wintry PeacockD. H. Lawrence
Well, lasses will be lasses, and the mills can give as many on 'em as ye like.
Sarah's School FriendMay Baldwin
lass
- a girl or young woman
- informal a familiar form of address for any female
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Word Origin
C13: origin uncertain
lassi
- a cold drink made with yoghurt or buttermilk and flavoured with sugar, salt, or a mild spice
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Word Origin
from Hindi
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for lasses
lass
n.
"young woman," c.1300, probably from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Swedish løsk kona "unmarried woman," but also perhaps related to Old Norse löskr "idle, weak," West Frisian lask "light, thin." Liberman suggests Old Danish las "rag." "Slang words for 'rag' sometimes acquire the jocular meaning 'child' and especially 'girl.'" "Used now only of mean girls" [Johnson, who also has lasslorn "forsaken by his mistress"]. Scottish diminutive lassie first recorded 1725.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper