Lass Meaning
/læs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA girl; also (by extension), a young woman.
nounA girl; also (by extension), a young woman., A female member of the Salvation Army; a hallelujah lass.
Sentence Examples
The lass is at the window, because the sun is very hot today.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The young ____ skipped happily down the path with her friends.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young ____ was helping her grandmother gather fresh flowers from the garden this bright summer morning.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English las, lasce, lasse (“female infant or child; young woman”), traditionally derived from Old Norse lǫskr (“unmarried”, adjective); see Middle English las for more. Cognates Scots lass, lassie
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"[T]heyr founders soules / Haue lost theyr beade rolles, / The mony for theyr masses / Spent amonge wanton lasses; […]"
— 1521–1522, John Skelton, “Here after Followeth a Litel Boke Called Colyn Cloute, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 327, lines 423–426:
"Ste[phano]. Is it ſo braue a Laſſe? / Cal[iban]. I [i.e., aye] Lord, ſhe vvill become thy bed, I vvarrant, / And bring thee forth braue brood."
— 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 12, column 2:
"This is the prettieſt Lovv-borne Laſſe, that euer / Ran on the greene-ſord: […]"
— c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], page 292, column 2:
"The laſs i' th' red petticoat ſhall pay for all. Young men anſvver ſo vvhen they are chid for being ſo prodigal and expenſive, meaning they vvill get a vvife vvith a good portion, that ſhall pay for it."
— 1678, J[ohn] Ray, “An Alphabet of Joculatory, Nugatory and Rustick Proverbs”, in A Collection of English Proverbs […], 2nd edition, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: […] John Hayes, printer to the University, for W. Morden, →OCLC, pages 80–81:
"[P]ray vvhich is the little Laſs that intends to be a Gentlevvoman?"
— 1722 (indicated as 1721), [Daniel Defoe], The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, &c. […], London: […] W[illiam Rufus] Chetwood, […]; and T. Edling, […], published 1722, →OCLC, page 8:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The young ____ skipped happily down the path with her friends.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young ____ was helping her grandmother gather fresh flowers from the garden this bright summer morning.