lad

UK: /ˈlæd/ US: /læd/ ,(lad)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

lad /læd/   n. [countable]

1. a boy or youth;
   young man.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

lad  (lad), n. 

1. a boy or youth.
2. Informal Terms a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man;
   chap.
3. British Terms a stable boy.

• ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
• Middle English ladde 1250–1300

lad′dish, adj. 
lad′hood, n. 

LAD, 

1. Linguistics See language acquisition device. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

lad / læd/ noun

1. a boy or young man
2. a familiar form of address for any male
3. a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad)
4. a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
5. a boy or man who looks after horses

Etymology: 13th Century ladde; perhaps of Scandinavian origin