lesbian

Les·bi·an

Use lesbian in a sentence

adjective

The definition of lesbian is something related to homosexual women or women who feel sexual attraction to other women.
A marriage between two women is an example of a marriage that would be described as a lesbian marriage.

noun

Lesbian is defined as a homosexual woman, or a woman who is sexually attracted to other women.
An example of a lesbian is a woman who has a girlfriend and who engages in sexual behavior with that girlfriend.

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MLA Style

"lesbian." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian>.

APA Style

lesbian. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian

lesbian

[L-] of Lesbos or its people or culture
Origin of lesbian
from the eroticism or homosexuality attributed to Sappho and her followers on Lesbos
[sometimesL-] of homosexuality between women

Origin of lesbian

Classical Latin Lesbius from Classical Greek Lesbios

[L-] a person born or living on Lesbos
[sometimesL-] a homosexual woman

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"lesbian." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian>.

APA Style

lesbian. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian

lesbian

noun

A woman whose sexual orientation is to women.

adjective

Of, relating to, or being a lesbian. See Usage Note at gay.

Origin of lesbian

After Lesbos home of Sappho, known for her homoerotic poetry

Lesbian

noun

A native or inhabitant of Lesbos.
The ancient Greek dialect of Lesbos.

adjective

Of or relating to Lesbos.

Origin of Lesbian

From Latin Lesbius from Greek Lesbios from Lesbos

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"lesbian." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian>.

APA Style

lesbian. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Lesbian

Adjective

(comparative more lesbian, superlative most lesbian)

(of a woman) Homosexual; preferring female romantic or sexual partners.
She is lesbian.
(of a romantic or sexual act or relationship) Between two women; homosexual.
She's involved in a lesbian relationship.
Lesbian marriage is still illegal in some nations.
(especially of an institution or group) Intended for lesbians.
We're going to a lesbian bar tonight.

Noun

(plural lesbians)

A homosexual female, a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women.

Origin

From Latin Lesbiana, from Ancient Greek Î›ÎÏƒÎ²Î¿Ï‚ (Lesbos) + Latin adjective suffix -iana; by reference to Sappho of Lesbos (whence also sapphist), known for her sentimental poems about women.

Noun

(plural Lesbians)

A native or inhabitant of Lesbos.
(linguistics) The variety of Aeolic Greek spoken on Lesbos from about 800 to 300 b.c., best known from the writings of Sappho and Alcaeus of Mytilene.
Alternative capitalization of lesbian: a homosexual woman.

Usage notes

Some residents of Lesbos (Lesvos) prefer to be called Lesviots.

Adjective

(comparative more Lesbian, superlative most Lesbian)

Of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos.
(linguistics) Of or pertaining to the Lesbian variety of Aeolic Greek.
Alternative capitalization of lesbian: (of women) homosexual.

Usage notes

The sense "homosexual" is now usually not capitalized; see lesbian. Compare gay, which is sometimes capitalized Gay though there is no reason for it to be according to the English language's usual rules for capitalization.

Origin

From Latin Lesbius (“Lesbian") + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus, -ana. The sense of "˜homosexual' is a reference to Sappho, a famous inhabitant of Lesbos and homosexual poet.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.