# girl

Pronunciation: say "GURL" US /ˈɡɜɹl/, UK /ˈɡɜːl/

## Noun

1. A female child, typically one who has not yet reached adulthood.
   - Simple: A child who is female, not yet grown up.
   - _A girl in the front row raised her hand to answer the question._
   - _The school enrolled both boys and girls for the new program._
2. A grown woman, especially a young or often attractive one: a usage many regard as offensive.
   - Simple: A grown woman, especially a young one. Many people find that rude.
   - _He referred to his fifty-year-old colleague as a girl, and she bristled._
   - _The old manager dismissively said the girls in accounting would handle it._
3. A person's daughter, regardless of her age.
   - Simple: A daughter, the female child of a parent.
   - _Their youngest girl is studying medicine abroad._
   - _He talks about his two girls with obvious pride._
4. A person's girlfriend; the woman one is romantically involved with.
   - Simple: A person's girlfriend, the woman someone is dating.
   - _He's been with his girl since high school._
   - _I'm meeting my girl for dinner after work._
5. A female friend, especially as used affectionately among women.
   - Simple: A close friend who is a woman.
   - _She called up one of her girls to vent about her day._
   - _You're my girl. We've been close since grade school._
6. Used to address a woman or girl directly in a familiar or friendly way; also used affectionately to a man, especially among gay men. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A friendly way to speak to a woman or girl, also used warmly between gay men.
   - _Girl, you would not believe what happened to me today._
   - _Take it easy, girl, there's no rush at all._
7. A female animal, especially a beloved female pet such as a dog, addressed affectionately.
   - Simple: A female animal, often a pet that someone speaks to fondly.
   - _"Come here, girl," the farmer called to his border collie._
   - _The mare is a gentle girl who has never thrown a rider._
8. A machine or vehicle spoken of fondly, especially one in regular use by the speaker. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A machine or vehicle that someone loves and uses a lot.
   - _The pilot patted the cockpit and said the old plane was his best girl._
   - _She patted the motorcycle's tank and said, "Come on, old girl, we've got a long ride ahead."_
9. An insulting name for a boy or man, used to mock him as weak, timid, or not manly enough. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: A rude name for a boy or man, used to say he is weak, scared, or not manly.
   - _His teammates called him a girl for sitting out the cliff jump._
   - _Stop being a girl, Mike, and grab the other end of the couch._
12. A female plant or tree, or in homely, childlike talk any living thing thought of as female.
   - Simple: A female plant or tree, or in a child's way of talking, any living thing that is female.
   - _Cannabis growers separate the girls early, since only female plants produce buds._
   - _Holly berries grow only on the girl trees, so plant a boy tree close by._
14. Cocaine, particularly in its powdered form. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: The drug cocaine, especially when it is a powder.
   - _Undercover officers arranged to buy girl from the suspect._
   - _He'd been moving girl through the neighborhood for months._
15. The queen card in a standard deck of playing cards. *(slang)*
   - Simple: The queen in a deck of playing cards.
   - _He flipped over a girl to complete his run._
   - _Holding three girls, she felt confident about the round._

## Verb

11. To make something feminine, or to present it as intended for girls.
   - Simple: To make something seem feminine or meant for girls.
   - _Toy makers girl entire aisles, drenching the shelves in pink and pastel._
   - _The rebrand girled the magazine, filling it with fashion and gossip._
13. To staff a place or task with girls or young women. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: To provide staff for a place or task using girls or young women.

## Noun

10. A woman employed as a servant or maid. *(dated)*
   - Simple: A woman who works as a servant or maid.
   - _Each morning the girl lit the fires and carried hot water up to the bedrooms._
   - _The family's girl, a woman of forty, had cooked for them since before the war._
16. A child of either sex, regardless of being male or female. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A young child of any sex.
17. A two-year-old roebuck, or male roe deer. *(obsolete, UK)*
   - Simple: A male roe deer that is two years old.

## Origin

From Middle English gerle, girle or gyrle meaning a young person, whether boy or girl, perhaps from Old English *gyrele and Proto-West Germanic *gurilā, from a diminutive of a root meaning 'young child'. Its ultimate origin is unknown.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/girl (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).