lesbian

English Online Dictionary. What means lesbian‎? What does lesbian mean?

English

Etymology

From Latin Lesbiana, from Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos) + Latin adjective suffix -iana; by reference to Sappho of Lesbos (whence also sapphist, sapphic), known for her sentimental poems about women. This sense of the word may have been borrowed from, or influenced by, the German cognate lesbisch, where it is found in medical literature from the 1830s.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛz.bɪ.ən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈlɛz.bi.ən/
• Hyphenation: lesb‧i‧an

Adjective

lesbian (comparative more lesbian, superlative most lesbian)

1. (of a woman) Homosexual, gay; preferring exclusively women as romantic or sexual partners.
   1. (of a woman, loosely) Preferring primarily women as romantic or sexual partners.
2. (of a romantic or sexual act or relationship) Between two or more women; homosexual, gay.
3. (especially of an institution or group) Intended for lesbians.
4. (now rare) Alternative letter-case form of Lesbian (“of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos”).

Synonyms

• (of a woman: preferring women partners): dyke (usually offensive, but reclaimed by some lesbians), gay (preferred by some lesbians), homosexual (not specific to women)
• (between women; pertaining to women's homosexuality): dyke (usually offensive, but reclaimed by some lesbians), gay (preferred by some lesbians), homosexual (not specific to women)

Coordinate terms

Translations

Noun

lesbian (plural lesbians)

1. A gay woman, one who is mostly or exclusively sexually or romantically attracted to other women.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:gay woman

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:lesbian.
2. (uncommon) A female animal that performs courtship, pairing or mating behavior with other female animals.
3. (now rare) Alternative letter-case form of Lesbian (“native or inhabitant of Lesbos.”)

Usage notes

• Many dictionaries define lesbian simply as a woman who is sexually (or romantically) attracted to other women. It especially refers to one who is attracted mostly or exclusively to other women. It is sometimes used in a way that includes other (e.g. bisexual) women who love women, or certain non-binary people.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Hindi: लेस्बियन (lesbiyan)
• → Urdu: لسبین

Translations

See also

• beaver eater, cuntlapper/cunt-lapper

Verb

lesbian (third-person singular simple present lesbians, present participle lesbianing, simple past and past participle lesbianed)

1. (informal, nonstandard, ambitransitive) To (cause to) take part in lesbian sex, or other lesbian activity.

References

Anagrams

• Nieblas, ansible, bilanes

Interlingua

Adjective

lesbian (not comparable)

1. lesbian

Hypernyms

• homosexual

Derived terms

• lesbiana

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French lesbien.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /les.biˈan/

Adjective

lesbian m or n (feminine singular lesbiană, masculine plural lesbieni, feminine and neuter plural lesbiene)

1. lesbian

Declension

See also

• lesbiană