lesbian

[ lez-bee-uhn ]

noun

1. 1. a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to other women; a gay woman.
   2. a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to other women; a gay woman.
2. Lesbian, an inhabitant of the island of Lesbos.

adjective

1. 1. of, relating to, or being a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to people of her own sex or gender.
   2. of, relating to, or being a woman who is sexually or romantically attracted exclusively to people of her own sex or gender.
2. Sometimes Lesbian. erotic; sensual
3. Lesbian, of or relating to Lesbos.

lesbian

¹

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

1. a female homosexual

adjective

1. of or characteristic of lesbians

Lesbian

²

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Lesbos
2. the Aeolic dialect of Ancient Greek spoken in Lesbos

adjective

1. of or relating to Lesbos
2. of or relating to the poetry of Lesbos, esp that of Sappho

lesbian

1. A homosexual woman. ( See also gay .)

Usage Note

What's the difference between lesbian and Sapphic? See gay ( def ).

Derived Forms

• ˈlesbianism, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lesbian¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin Lesbi(us) “Lesbian” (from Greek Lésbios, equivalent to Lésb(os) “Lesbos” ( Lesbos ) + -ios adjective suffix) + -an; lesbian defs 1, 3 allude to the poet Sappho of Lesbos, whose verse deals largely with her emotional relationships with other women

Word History and Origins

Origin of lesbian¹

C19: from the homosexuality attributed to Sappho

Example Sentences

The pair like to search other queer content for coded hashtags to use on their own account, such as “lala,” which is slang for “lesbian,” or the Chinese words for “roommates” or “besties.”

From Los Angeles Times

A 2015 report by the Rand Corporation, put out four years after Barack Obama signed the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act, found that about 6 percent, or 120,000 service members, identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual.

From Salon

There have been gay, lesbian and bisexual people serving in all the branches of the military for as long as we have had soldiers and sailors in uniform.

From Salon

If next year Trump has a Veterans Day parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, it will bristle with tanks and armored personnel carriers and missiles and cannons and machine guns, driven by service members who he thinks are losers, a good percentage of whom will be Black, female, gay, lesbian and bisexual.

From Salon

"I'm a cis-attracted trans lesbian," he replied.

From Salon