lad
noun/læd/ · unstressed /ləd/
Etymology
From Middle English ladde (“foot soldier, servant; male commoner; boy”), from late Old English *ladda (attested in Old English personal byname Ladda), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Old Norse ladd (“hose, woolen stocking; sock”), which may have undergone semantic shift to mean a term of abuse (e.g. foolish youth, youngster of lower social status, etc.); thence by connotative amelioration coming to mean any young fellow. Compare Norwegian ladd (“rough sock, woolen or felt slipper”) and the -ladd in compounds Askeladd/Askeladden (a nickname in fairy tales, "Ash Lad") and tusseladd (“nincompoop”). See also Swedish ladder (“old shoes”), lodde (“Frisian shoe”), lädder (“socks”), all said to be related to Old Norse loðinn (“hairy, shaggy, woolly”), loddi (“shaggy dog”).
A boy or young man.
- How great is that danger, to which poor lads are now exposed, when placed on shipboard to learn the art of sailing! Five lads, training up for the seas, were now on board this ship; […]1776, John Woolman, chapter XI, in A Journal of the Life, Gospel Labours, and Christian Experiences of that Faithful Minister of Jesus Christ, John Woolman, […] , Dublin: Printed by R. Jackson, page 209:
- The lad, his son, had obtained a Jew's-harp, and learned to play upon it the profane airs of "Yankee Doodle," "Hail Columbia," "St. Patrick's Day," and "Auld Lang Syne."1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 70:
UK A hedonistic or irresponsible young man; A Jack the lad.
- I think he reckons he’s a bit of a lad.
- Last night I was out drinking with the lads.
1 more example
- He's rather a lad, by the way—or used to be in his flying days.1929, Agatha Christie, The Seven Dials Mystery:
A familiar term of address for a young man.
- Come here, lad, and help me shift these boxes.
A groom who works with horses.
Ireland, Colloquial The penis.
- — The lad stood to attention anyhow, he said with a sigh. She's a gamey mare and no mistake.1922, James Joyce, Ulysses, page 225:
- Mrs Glynn: Oh but there's this great bit in it. You see, there was this girl, but then you find out it's not a girl but a man! Mrs Sheridan: And he got his lad out.1995 May 5, Graham Linehan, Arthur Matthews, “The Passion of St Tibulus”, in Father Ted:
2 more examples
- And he loaded the chariot with clods and boulders and cobbles that he fired at anyone who came to stare at him and jeer him, stark naked as he was, with his long lad and his acorns dangling down through the floor of the chariot.2007, anonymous author, translated by Ciaran Carson, The Táin, →ISBN, page 175:
- Just thinking about how she would look without her clothes made his lad twitch with anticipation.2010, Loucinda McGary, The Wild Irish Sea: A Windswept Tale of Love and Magic, →ISBN, page 11:
Internet A scammer.
- [...] regardless whether you feel the lads may deserve to be subjected to those types of images.2020 March 11, Rover, “*** 419 EATER FORUM RULES - PLEASE READ ***”, in 419 Eater:
- Derived terms
34 terms
bad-lad split, booking lad, currency lad, feller-me-lad, fellermelad, fellow me lad, fellow-me-lad, flat lad, follow-me-lad, Goodlad, head lad, lad culture, laddie, laddish, laddism, laddock, laddy, ladette, ladhood, ladkin, ladlit, lad lit, lad mag, lad of wax, lad's love, ladsy, lavender lad, likely lad, mad lad, merlad, new lad, signal lad, tits out for the lads, Yule lad