lad ◆◇◇ /læ d/ (lads )
1 N‑COUNT A lad is a young man or boy. [INFORMAL ] □ When I was a lad his age I would laugh at the strangest things. □ Come along, lad. Time for you to get home.
2 N‑PLURAL Some men refer to their male friends or colleagues as the lads . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …a drink with the lads.
lad|der /læ də r / (ladders )
1 N‑COUNT A ladder is a piece of equipment used for climbing up something or down from something. It consists of two long pieces of wood, metal, or rope with steps fixed between them.
2 N‑SING You can use the ladder to refer to something such as a society, organization, or system which has different levels that people can progress up or drop down. □ [+ of ] If they want to climb the ladder of success they should be given that opportunity.
3 N‑COUNT A ladder is a hole or torn part in a woman's stocking or tights, where some of the vertical threads have broken, leaving only the horizontal threads. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use run
lad|die /læ di/ (laddies ) N‑COUNT A laddie is a young man or boy. [mainly SCOTTISH , INFORMAL ] □ …this little laddie, aged about four. □ Now then, laddie, what's the trouble?
lad|dish /læ d I ʃ/ ADJ If you describe someone as laddish , you mean that they behave in a way that people think is typical of young men, for example by being rough and noisy, drinking a lot of alcohol, and having a bad attitude towards women. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Their manager is unconcerned at the laddish image and the drinking that goes with it.
lad|en /le I d ə n/
1 ADJ If someone or something is laden with a lot of heavy things, they are holding or carrying them. [LITERARY ] □ [+ with ] I came home laden with cardboard boxes. □ …heavily-laden mules.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] If you describe a person or thing as laden with something, particularly something bad, you mean that they have a lot of it. □ Many of their heavy industries are laden with debt.
-laden /-le I d ə n/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -laden combines with nouns to form adjectives which indicate that something has a lot of a particular thing or quality. □ …a fat-laden meal. □ …smoke-laden air. □ …a technology-laden military.
la-di-da /lɑː di dɑː / also lah-di-dah ADJ If you describe someone as la-di-da , you mean that they have an upper-class way of behaving, which you think seems unnatural and is only done to impress people. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I wouldn't trust them in spite of all their la-di-da manners.
la dies' man N‑SING If you say that a man is a ladies' man , you mean that he enjoys spending time socially with women and that women find him attractive. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
la dies' room N‑SING Some people refer to a public toilet for women as the ladies' room .
la|dle /le I d ə l/ (ladles , ladling , ladled )
1 N‑COUNT A ladle is a large, round, deep spoon with a long handle, used for serving soup, stew, or sauce.
2 VERB If you ladle food such as soup or stew, you serve it, especially with a ladle. □ [V n prep] Barry held the bowls while Liz ladled soup into them. □ [V n with adv] Mrs King went to the big black stove and ladled out steaming soup. [Also V n]
lady ◆◆◇ /le I di/ (ladies )
1 N‑COUNT You can use lady when you are referring to a woman, especially when you are showing politeness or respect. □ She's a very sweet old lady. □ …a lady doctor. □ …a cream-coloured lady's shoe.
2 → see also old lady
3 N‑COUNT You can say ' ladies ' when you are addressing a group of women in a formal and respectful way. [POLITENESS ] □ Your table is ready, ladies, if you'd care to come through. □ Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.
4 N‑COUNT A lady is a woman from the upper classes, especially in former times. □ Our governess was told to make sure we knew how to talk like English ladies.
5 N‑TITLE In Britain, Lady is a title used in front of the names of some female members of the nobility, or the wives of knights. □ My dear Lady Mary, how very good to see you.
6 N‑COUNT If you say that a woman is a lady , you mean that she behaves in a polite, dignified, and graceful way. □ His wife was great as well, beautiful-looking and a real lady.
7 N‑SING People sometimes refer to a public toilet for women as the ladies . [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ At Temple station, Charlotte rushed into the Ladies.
8 N‑COUNT ' Lady ' is sometimes used by men as a form of address when they are talking to a woman that they do not know, especially in shops and in the street. [AM , INFORMAL , POLITENESS ] □ What seems to be the trouble, lady?
9 → see also first lady , Our Lady
lady|bird /le I dibɜː r d/ (ladybirds ) N‑COUNT A ladybird is a small round beetle that is red with black spots. [BRIT ] in AM, use ladybug
lady|bug /le I dibʌg/ (ladybugs ) → see ladybird
la dy friend (lady friends ) N‑COUNT [usu poss N ] A man's lady friend is the woman with whom he is having a romantic or sexual relationship. [BRIT , OLD-FASHIONED ]
la dy-in-wai ting (ladies-in-waiting ) N‑COUNT A lady-in-waiting is a woman whose job is to help a queen or princess.
la dy-killer (lady-killers ) N‑COUNT If you refer to a man as a lady-killer , you mean that you think he is very successful at attracting women but quickly leaves them. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
lady|like /le I dila I k/ ADJ If you say that a woman or girl is ladylike , you mean that she behaves in a polite, dignified, and graceful way. □ I hate to be blunt, Frankie, but she just didn't strike me as being very ladylike. □ She crossed the room with quick, ladylike steps.