Meaning & use
lass
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Meanings
nouncountableregional
A girl or young woman, in the speech of Scotland, northern England and Ireland.
Grammar: Informal and regional; also used as a friendly address: Hello, lass.
Patterns
- a young lass
She was a bright young lass from a village near Aberdeen.
The old fisherman called every girl on the quay a bonny lass.
Come in out of the rain, lass, and sit by the fire.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A girlfriend or sweetheart, in old or folk usage.
Grammar: Dated and affectionate; often paired with lad.
Patterns
- someone's lass
The soldier wrote a song about the lass he left behind.
He saved his wages to take his lass to the fair.
Word forms
| plural | lasses |
|---|
Common combinations
- bonny lass
- The song tells of a bonny lass from the hills.
- young lass
- A young lass handed me a leaflet at the market.
- lad and lass
- Every lad and lass in the village came to the dance.
- local lass
- The winner was a local lass who trained by the river.
- lads and lasses
- Welcome, lads and lasses, to the ceilidh.
Synonyms and how they differ
- girl
- Girl is the neutral word everywhere, while lass is warm, regional and a little old-fashioned.
- lassie
- Lassie is the Scottish pet form, and sounds even more affectionate than lass.
- maiden
- Maiden is poetic and archaic, whereas lass is still used in speech in some areas.
- young woman
- Young woman is neutral and respectful, whereas lass can sound folksy or condescending in the wrong setting.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: lass or lace?
lass vs lace
Lace is a decorative fabric; it only sounds a little like lass.
Practice
In northern England, an older man might greet a young girl by saying, "Hello, ___."
Choose one answer.
Lass is the regional word for a girl. Lad and laddie refer to boys, and laird is a Scottish landowner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lass”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.