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girl

n. · v.
US //ˈɡɝɫ// UK //ɡˈɜːl// girl
  1. 1 female child (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    a female child or a young person who is not yet an adult.

    a female child or adolescent.

    Example

    The little girl was playing with her toys in the garden.

    Example

    The primary school teacher noticed that the young girl had a remarkable talent for mathematics and logical puzzles.
  2. 2 young woman (n.)
    A2 Elementary Informal

    a young woman, often used informally among friends.

    a young adult woman. Often used informally, though it can be perceived as patronising in professional or formal contexts.

    Example

    She is a smart girl who just started her first job at the bank.

    Example

    While the term is common in casual conversation, referring to a female colleague as a girl in a board meeting may be viewed as unprofessional.

    Teacher's tip

    In modern professional English, 'woman' is preferred over 'girl' to avoid sounding condescending.
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  1. 3 female friend (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    a way to talk about or address a female friend.

    a female friend or peer, frequently used as a term of address or in the plural 'girls' to refer to a social group.

    Example

    I am going out for dinner with the girls from work tonight.

    Example

    She maintained a close-knit circle of friends, often referring to the group as 'the girls' despite them all being in their fifties.
  2. 4 daughter (n.)
    A2 Elementary

    someone's female child.

    a person's daughter, regardless of her age.

    Example

    They have two children: a boy and a girl.

    Example

    Even though she was nearly forty, her father still proudly introduced her as his baby girl to his old colleagues.
  3. 5 girlfriend (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    a person's female romantic partner.

    a female romantic partner; often used with a possessive pronoun.

    Example

    He is bringing his new girl to the party on Saturday.

    Example

    The protagonist spent the entire novel trying to win back his girl, only to realise they had grown too far apart.
  4. 6 cocaine (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Slang American English

    a slang word for the drug cocaine.

    a slang term for cocaine, specifically in powder form.

    Example

    The police found a small bag of girl in the suspect's car.

    Example

    Undercover officers used various street names, including 'girl' and 'white', to identify the illicit substances being traded in the district.
  5. 7 to feminize (v.)
    C1 Advanced Informal

    to make something seem more feminine or suitable for girls.

    to feminize or adapt something to suit a female audience or identity.

    Example

    The company tried to girl the product by making it pink.

    Example

    Critics argued that the studio's attempt to girl the action franchise by adding a female lead felt forced and superficial.
    • feminize
Origin

From Middle English gerle, girle, gyrle (“young person (boy or girl)”), perhaps from Old English gyrele, from Proto-West Germanic gurilā, from a zero-grade diminutive of gaurā (“young child”) + -ilā. Ultimately of unknown origin. Doublet of gal/gyal and gyaru.

Word family
Idioms11 entries

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