lad

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   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; […]

2. 2
   noun

   A hedonistic or irresponsible young man; A Jack the lad.

   I think he reckons he’s a bit of a lad.

3. 3
   noun

   A familiar term of address for a young man.

   Come here, lad, and help me shift these boxes.

4. 4
   noun

   The penis.

   — The lad stood to attention anyhow, he said with a sigh. She's a gamey mare and no mistake.

5. 5
   noun

   A scammer.

   [...] regardless whether you feel the lads may deserve to be subjected to those types of images.

6. 6
   noun

   a male child (a familiar term of address to a boy)

7. 7
   noun

   a boy or man

8. 8
   noun

   A groom who works with horses.

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 (“…