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lesbian

[ lez-bee-uhn ]

noun

    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.
  1. Lesbian, an inhabitant of the island of Lesbos.


adjective

    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.
  1. Sometimes Lesbian. erotic; sensual
  2. Lesbian, of or relating to Lesbos.

lesbian

1

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

  1. a female homosexual
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or characteristic of lesbians
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Lesbian

2

/ ˈlɛzbɪən /

noun

  1. a native or inhabitant of Lesbos
  2. the Aeolic dialect of Ancient Greek spoken in Lesbos
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. of or relating to Lesbos
  2. of or relating to the poetry of Lesbos, esp that of Sappho
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lesbian

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

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

  • ˈlesbianism, noun
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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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of lesbian1

C19: from the homosexuality attributed to Sappho
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Example Sentences

Just over a third of those who identified as gay/lesbian were not familiar with the risks of chemsex, the study also found.

From BBC

Before that though, there's been slim pickings for mainstream pop songs that celebrate authentic lesbian relationships.

From BBC

Price said the strike also shaped him personally, as he recalled the gay and lesbian support groups who visited Ammanford.

From BBC

I remember in my early 20s in Toronto, there were tons of amazing lesbian or queer bars that aren’t around anymore.

Local businesses, like Silverlake lesbian bar The Ruby Fruit, have printed their own iterations to cater to their clientele.

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Le SageLesbian cymatium