lad

lad

W3S3 [læd] n BrE

[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Perhaps from a Scandinavian language]

1.) old-fashioned or informal a boy or young man

→↑lass

▪ a young lad

▪ Things were different when I was a lad.

2.) the lads

spoken a group of male friends that a man works with or spends his free time with

▪ a night out with the lads

one of the lads

(=a member of your group of friends)

3.) a bit of a lad

spoken a man that people like even though he behaves rather badly

▪ That Chris is a bit of a lad, isn't he?

4.) lad culture informal

the way in which some young men behave, involving typically male activities such as drinking a lot of alcohol, driving fast cars, and watching football - used to show disapproval

5.) also stable lad

a boy or man who works with horses

= ↑stable boy

→↑Jack the Lad