lesbian
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a woman who is sexually and romantically attracted to other women.
n.a woman who identifies as having a sexual and romantic orientation exclusively toward other women.
Simple“She has been an active member of the local lesbian community for many years.”
In context“The documentary explores the historical challenges faced by lesbians in the workplace during the mid-twentieth century.”
Synonymsgay woman - 02 A2 Elementary
adj.describing women who are attracted to other women, or things related to them.
adj.pertaining to female homosexuality or the culture and identity of women attracted to other women.
Simple“The bookstore has a large section dedicated to lesbian literature and history.”
In context“The film was praised for its authentic portrayal of a lesbian relationship without relying on tired stereotypes.”
SynonymsgaysapphicAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a person who comes from the Greek island of Lesbos.
n.a native or inhabitant of the Aegean island of Lesbos.
Simple“The famous ancient poet Sappho was a Lesbian, meaning she lived on the island of Lesbos.”
In context“The local museum features several artifacts donated by prominent Lesbians who wish to preserve the island's unique heritage.”
UsageUsually capitalized as 'Lesbian' in this sense.
- 04 C1 Advanced
adj.relating to the Greek island of Lesbos.
adj.of or pertaining to the island of Lesbos, its people, or its culture.
Simple“We enjoyed tasting the local Lesbian wine during our trip to the island.”
In context“The scholar specialized in Lesbian dialects of the Aeolic Greek language used during the archaic period.”
UsageUsually capitalized as 'Lesbian' in this sense.
“When Büchner comes out as a lesbian to Stella and introduces Maddy into their lives, things start to become a little more complicated.”
“It covers her young adulthood in the 1970s, where she comes out as lesbian (“The electricity doesn’t go out.”
From Latin Lesbius (“Lesbian”) (for further etymology, see Ancient Greek Λέσβος (Lésbos)) + adjective suffix -an, from Latin adjective suffix -anus. The sense of “gay woman” is a reference to Sappho, a famous inhabitant of Lesbos and gay poet.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.