lad
1 Americannoun
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a boy or youth.
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Informal. a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man; chap.
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British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.
abbreviation
noun
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a boy or young man
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informal a familiar form of address for any male
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a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad )
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a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
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a boy or man who looks after horses
Other Word Forms
- laddish adjective
- ladhood noun
Etymology
Origin of lad
1250–1300; Middle English ladde < ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
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.
"Two young lads with their lives in front of them."
From BBC
“Not now, lad, we’ve got work to do,” and he dropped a bundle of straw at my feet.
From Literature
But Brooks, who normally bats at number five, strode to the wicket first drop in a massive statement of intent that said "leave it to me, lads".
From Barron's
"He is a very competitive lad," said Brook.
From BBC
"I think the lads are going to be a bit annoyed at the negative chat that's surrounding the team for the past while," legendary Ireland scrum-half Conor Murray said on the Ireland Rugby Social.
From BBC
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.
